Music Within
by Write-as-Rayne
Summary: Beca has always heard music everywhere, and has been looking for someone who would make her feel like a perfect mash-up. Beca creates mash-ups anonymously for Chloe as a way to express her hidden feelings; but will Chloe ever figure out who has the music within? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

For Beca, music was never a passive involvement. It wasn't notes and melodies that you listened to or allowed your body to respond to accordingly, it wasn't a hobby, it wasn't a dream…for Beca Mitchell, it was absolutely everything. Despite her distaste for the film industry as a whole, she was surprisingly drawn to the story of Evan Taylor in _August Rush_. For a couple of hours, Beca felt as though she wasn't alone on this synesthetic journey of tones and beats. Like Evan, Beca noticed at an early age that music was everywhere; music was everything, if only you gave yourself a moment to experience it. It was one of the driving forces behind her drive to create mash-ups. So many things in this world exist that don't quite fit together at first glance, but after finding the similarities of structure and intonation, they blend well together; they just mesh, enhancing the other while never detracting from the two separate songs. Beca would never admit it to anyone, as she worked hard to cultivate her alternative persona of detached aloof cynicism, but she felt that people were similar to songs. In order to create something magical, which was what everyone deep down searched for, one must find the perfect partner to create an intimate mash-up; such a connection would cause goose bumps, shivers, and leave the other unable to sing the song, be alone, in quite the same way. For Beca Mitchell, music was never something she did; it was always something she was, and it wasn't until she met Chloe Beale that she realized that music was also inside of her, struggling to break free.

It had been just over a month at Barden, and the evenings were beginning to cool off, the sweltering Georgian humidity of the summer giving way to more moderate temperatures. Beca used this to her advantage walking around campus, listening to conversations creating rhythms in her head. She wore headphones as a buffer, but unless she was actually mixing, they generally were off. She traded the symphonic and electronic beats for tennis sneakers against the pavement, bass for traffic far away. Walking past Johnson Hall, she heard a girl singing along with The Proclaimers and Beca began to hum along. In the hallway as she headed to her room, she could hear a clear and vibrant voice sining _Titanium, _and Beca's mind began to flawlessly meld 500 Miles with it; she couldn't wait to start mixing the two, and part of her wondered who lived in the room that listened to David Guetta. Shrugging it off, she headed back to try (at her father's insistence) to be nice to her roommate. Arriving back at her own room, Kimmy Jin looked up from arranging the metal foil on her small tree.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" Beca ventured cautiously, knowing that Kimmy Jin was interested only in completing her education and not making friends with "the white girl" she was forced to live with by Barden admissions staff.

Going back to her metallic pruning, Kimmy Jin responded dryly, "Why?"

"Dude. I was trying to be nice; I thought maybe we could get to know each other better since we have to live together all year. Forget I asked." Her stoic roommate's only answer was to say, "Ok."

Annoyed at her father's insistence that she make friends, and put off by her roommate's inability to communicate like a real person, she decided to take a shower instead of heading out alone to forage for food in one of the campus dining facilities. Grabbing her shower caddy she entered the communal showers with _Titanium_ still flowing through her mind and body. Though not much of a singer, she couldn't help but allowing the words to come out, as she tested the water. Just as she was about to submerge herself, she heard the shower curtain being ripped open and momentarily wished she had her standard issue Barden rape whistle with her. That is, until a cheerful voice exclaimed, "You can sing!" Beca spun around, covering herself as best she could given her current circumstances. "Dude!" She exclaimed, trying to place the intruder. She was gorgeous, Beca had to admit, and realized it was the red headed Acapella girl who tried to get her to join the lady singing group on campus a while ago at the activities fair. The red head (Zoe? Joey? Chloe!) asked questions regarding her belt, whatever that means, but Beca was unable to concentrate on anything other than watching small beads of water wind their way down Chloe's perfect form. Responding as best she could, Beca stumbled awkwardly through the conversation, and begrudgingly began to sing for her intruder. It wasn't until later that evening, as she hunched over her computer creating a perfect mash-up of _Titanium _and _500 Miles_ did she realize that she was unable to shake the naked image of Chloe from her mind. As she faded the bass into the mix, and selected the correct point at which to meld the songs, she imagined herself as the Proclaimer's song, and Chloe as Guetta's hit, and lost herself in the image of the two seamlessly flowing into one another creating a perfect harmony.

Chapter 2 coming shortly...


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I own none of this, not the songs, not the movie, not the characters, and certainly not the music that is everywhere.  
A/N 2: The number of favorites has inspired me to write a second chapter; thank you all, you are the rhythm I follow :) I have the general idea that I'll be going with this, but welcome suggestions. Also, if you're wondering, M chapters will come after plot and tension develop; you have that to look forward to!

Beca awoke the next morning slumped over her computer and sound equipment. Her neck was stiff and mind still foggy from dreams of dodging bullets, walking tremendous distances, wanderlust and love. She heard the low murmur of conversation outside her open window, and it created a dull backbeat to Kimmy Jin's ruffling of papers at her desk. Of course she was awake and studying, it was nearly 9am, which was the Korean noon as her roommate always reminded her. Stretching her arms and yawning, Beca did her best to ignore her cohabitant's disapproving glare. Rolling her eyes, Beca readjusted the wires to her headphones and placed her latest mash up on low volume repeat, collapsing ungracefully back into bed. As the music flowed into her, visions of curly red hair and vibrant blue eyes moved with the rhythm of her mix, and Beca drifted off as she tried not to think about what all of this might mean.

The next thing Beca knew, her father was giving her an ultimatum about joining a club, and in her half conscious stupor, she agreed because he said if she made an effort, at the end of the year he'd help her move to L.A. That was the end goal, of course, because she needed to start paying her dues to the record industry. It wasn't too terrible of a deal; how difficult could it be to get involved? It's not like she'd actually have to enjoy it, just pretend to like it long enough for her father to meet his end of the bargain.

She made her way to the shower, contemplating what club she should join. As she turned the water on, thoughts of Chloe, the gorgeous red head with the voice that sounded like liquid smiles came flooding back. As the warm water poured over her, her mind absently started replaying the scene from the night before. Perfect teeth, spot on pitch and timbre, perky breasts, porcelain skin marked by dainty freckles, and those stunning bright blue eyes. Like staccato notes, they pierced Beca's soul, forcing her into an exchange of eye contact that simultaneously had left her feeling both safe and exposed. "See you at auditions," the girl had called before leaving Beca. Auditions...for that acapella group, the Barden somethings. Belles or something equally southern. Not that it mattered; at this point all that mattered to Beca was satisfying her end of the deal with her father. If in doing so she was able to spend some more time with Chloe, well, that was a bonus. But why did she want to spend time with her? With all the daydreaming and thoughts it was as if she had a crush on her! But that was ridiculous logic, right? Chloe was too upbeat and cheerful, too sweet, too straight and yet...Beca's eyes snapped open and soap ran into them. "Fuck!" She uttered, closing them just as quickly, wiping frantically at them, knocking over her shower caddy in the process. "You okay in there?" the now familiar voice of the red haired singer melodically traveled through the thing barrier of polyurethane, and seemed to dance with Beca's pulse. "Uh, yeah, I'm good," Beca hurriedly replied, hoping that there wouldn't be a repeat of last night. Not that she didn't want to catch another glimpse of the older girl, but because she needed time to process these thoughts she was having. Once she worked it out through music she would understand; tempos, rhythm, notes, sounds, those were the things that made sense to Beca. Words and thoughts so often were misleading or confusing, but songs made sense; they were somehow real, and were the best way she had to think about her feelings. She heard singing from the stall across from hers, and Beca closed her eyes and let Chloe's voice wash over her, losing herself in the splash of Regina Spektor's Folding Chair.

For Beca, sexuality was a lot like music; it was fluid, it came from within, and it there was always beauty to be found if you lookedl. Part of what allowed her to excel at mash-ups was her diverse and eclectic musical tastes. She never limited herself to genres, and preferred instead to listen to an individual song, let the lyrics and beats speak to her, and if it sparked within her, she accepted that. So, too, for people; sex and gender were genres she refused to limit herself by, and instead listened to the rhythm of the person. If she liked the music within, she'd think about how their songs might combine. Some mash-ups were stranger than others, and yet no past reprises had come close to Chloe. She was undeniably attractive, of that Beca was sure, but everything about her personality seemed contrariwise to Beca's. She was bubbly and cute, peppy and popular. She was timpanis and flutes to Beca's electric riffs and bass beats. Their songs couldn't possibly combine, and yet there was that DJ that somehow managed to combine Stevie Wonder and Metallica into an amazing mash up called Sad but Superstitious. Sometimes the most unlikely combinations end up creating the most beautiful melodies. With a smile, Beca thought about how their song, the song of BeChloe, would sound and the rhythm inside her began a slow crescendo. As Beca walked back to her room, her mind raced with ideas for a new mix.

Hours later she stood up from her laptop and ejected the flash drive that held her mix from last night, as well as a few others. What each mix had in common was that they all blended two seemingly different bands into a singular melodic harmony. Spektor's Folding Chair and Calvin Harris's Feel so Close was inspired directly by Chloe's impromptu vocal performance that afternoon. Stretching, Beca rose from her chair and glanced at the clock. It was dinner time, and she had yet to eat today. Auditions for the acapella groups were at 7, and if she hurried she could grab a quick bite on her way. She slid the small flash drive into her pocket, and headed out to the Italian Kitchen, the campus dining facility closest to the auditorium and with the most edible fare.

She arrived to the auditions late, and could hear Kelly Clarkson's Since You've Been Gone rolling out of the wings and through the hallway. Not wanting to sing such an over the top number alone, when prompted to sing something Beca did the first thing she could think of and (much to the chagrin of the blonde leader) began a rhythm on the bottom of an upturned empty plastic cup. Seeing Chloe's look of awe and amazement forced Beca to look away as she sang, because the short notes from those blue eyes were just too much to take in with so many spectators. As she walked out of the auditorium, she passed by the two older Bellas discussing the performances. On impulse, following the rhythm, Beca quietly and secretly snuck the flash drive into Chloe's purse while Chloe was talking to the blonde about the auditions. She didn't know why she did it, but it seemed right. After all, the music on the drive was inspired by the red head. Whether Chloe knew it or not, it was their soundtrack.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N-Thanks for all the alerts and faves, you are fantastic and I can only hope you enjoy reading half as much as I enjoy writing it. Decided to allow the fic to follow both Beca and Chloe, hope it flows okay for you...this chapte is a little Chloe-centric. As promised, there's some solo lady jammin' here. ;) If there's anything specific or special you'd like to see included at some point, well, let me know; I aim to please. XO Rayne

Chloe had always loved music, and actively sought to follow it, create it, and fashion a world in which music surrounded her in all ways. It was always something she wanted to share with others' sharing music was like sharing a piece of your soul. When you find a song that resonates completely with you, that conveys not the words you're thinking but the bare and raw emotion behind the thoughts that fueled them, and that song extends as a part of your psyche, well, to share that was divine. Chloe had always seen sharing music as an intimate act; in fact, it was so rare for her to share a song even with someone she was in a relationship with that only one of her previous boyfriends even knew what kind of music she listened to. Sex, sure, because the body was carnal and primal. Sharing it with someone could be quite fun and pleasurable, but sharing music? That intimacy was something she planned to reserve for someone who she felt connected to beyond the physicality of touch.

A day later, looking through her bag for her campus ID to swipe into her dorm, Chloe's fingers found a small USB drive. Curiously removing the flash drive, she looked at the foreign object she had no recollection of placing there. Opening the door, she turned the tiny black nondescript electronic device over in her hand, searching for a clue as to how she had acquired it. A piece of tape with small, concise block lettering simply said "For you". "For me?" Chloe's mind immediately began to reel as she tried to recount her steps and interactions over the last few days. A thought struck her, and she sat down on her bed lost in thought. "What if ithe you is someone else who is not me but supposed to look at what is on this? What if it's important material? What if it's a virus?!" Her thoughts were interrupted by the click of the door opening and someone entering the dorm room.

Bolting upright, Chloe called to her roommate, "Aubrey, if you found something that said it was for you, but you weren't sure if you were the you the you was supposed to be intended for, would you open it?" Aubrey blinked, an inquisitive look crossing her face as she responded, "Aca-scuse me? Wait, you you or me you? And what the hell, Chloe, I was in the library working on my senior thesis all day, my head hurts. Your _Legally Blonding_ me is not helping."

"Me you, or you me, I'm totes confused." Chloe began, then realizing that was just as confusing, continued, "Nevermind, I found something that said 'for you' but I don't know where it came from and what if it isn't meant for me? Or wait, would that be more weird or less weird than if it is?"

"Why don't you just open it and find out," Aubrey sighed, exhausted from the day and not looking forward to Bellas rehearsals on the other side of campus in less than an hour. "Where was it, anyway?"

"My bag," Chloe responded.

"Coach or Chanel?"

"Coach, the black one, why?"

"Oh, that's the nice one, can I borrow it for my date tomorrow? Oh! Date! " Aubreys eyes lit up and she leaned forward, excited with an eyebrow cocked and in a faux stage whisper suggested, "What if it's supposed to be for you-you, from a secret admirer?"

Chloe's brow furrowed slightly, wondering if that could be possible. "Do they still have those? I thought they disappeared when people realized that anonymous posts were allowed on tumblr and formspring."

"I don't know, maybe your admirer is old school." Aubrey glanced at the clock, groaned, and grabbed her bag heading back to the door. "We have to get to rehearsals, the ATO party is this weekend and we need to bring it; I promised Brent an aca-awesome show, and I seriously do not want to deal with my ex if he's not in total amazement of our choreography and performance."

Chloe just nodded, her thoughts wandering to who might have possibly slid the USB that she somehow felt was meant for her into her bag.

"Amy, what song are you even singing?" Aubrey asked incredulously and Amy stopped mid-note looking around in disbelief.

"Aubrey, I'll have you know I'm the best singer in Tasmania."

"Well there's a reason they don't have 'Tasmanian Idol'." Aubrey responded, "Lets go aca-bitches, from the top."

"Actually we do have it; a woman wrestling a crocodile with a xylophone tied to his tail won last year." Amy's response garnered a horrified expression from Aubrey, which immediately caused the entire group to take a step back involuntarily in case the leader's distaste ended up on the floor, again.

The group missed the comment from the quiet Bella, as she whispered, "I had an idol once. His name was Tom and I sacrificed a cat for him." As usual, though, Lily's comment was lost on the rest of the group as Amy and Aubrey were arguing about talent and Australia.

Beca, who had been standing at an appropriate distance away from Chloe moved slightly closer to hear the argument better. As she did, the scent of Chloe's shampoo wafted back, and Beca cleared her throat to center herself. As Chloe turned around in response to the sound, Beca rolled her eyes and joked, "Another aca-catfight. My money's on Amy, she seems scrappy."

Chloe laughed, glad to be thinking about something other than the unknown contents of the flash drive in her pocket, and said, "I don't know, I've known Aubrey for years; she never gives up. Could be a bloodbath if we don't stop it. We should, right?"

"Probably. But where's the fun in that?" Beca responded with a twinkle in her eye.

"True. Maybe we should call it a night, though, I've got a paper to write for my lit class, and it's not like we're being that productive anyway." Chloe moved away to speak to Aubrey about ending practice before someone lost an eye, or a limb as Amy was threatening, and Beca closed her eyes, listening to the music of Chloe she could still hear, planning the next group of songs she'd put together inspired by her.

Chloe had listened to the first two songs on the flash drive, and both were gorgeous combinations of older music and newer songs, and she was entirely fascinated with the one that combined "Cantaloupe Island" with something by Papa Roach. When the third track started, she recognized "Titanium" instantaneously. She loved the song, the way it builds to a crescendo and always left her feeling like her skin was on fire; she paused the song to check her text message from Aubrey to see if she would have enough time to properly enjoy her lady jam. "Going 2 lib, back late" the last message from her roommate read, sent just a few minutes ago. She'd have plenty of time, and god, it'd been a while. This stranger who made these songs seemed to know how both her body and her mind worked, and Chloe found it both incredibly sexy and slightly unnerving. But not so unnerving that she wasn't about to have an eargasmic orgasm while listening to this song on repeat.

As she spread out on the bed, she hit play and closed her eyes, trailing her fingers over her neck and down her chest with the tempo. She removed her shirt and her pants, but decided to leave her bra and underwear on just in case her roommate decided to come back unexpectedly, but hoped that would not be the case. The cool early autumn air slid in through the open window, and combined with the light touches from her fingertips as she grazed them over her bra she felt goose bumps rising on her body. She contemplated crawling undert he blanket,but figured she'd be warm soon enough. Sliding her right fingers under the material, a small gasp escaped her lips as she lightly pinched her nipple. Feeling the wetness pool between her legs, she realized it had been over a month since her last orgasm; the shower the other night with Tom was great and all, but he lacked certain techniques that would allow them both to get off. As the chorus began to play it resonated around her, she moved slowly to the other breast, licking her finger and allowing the wetness to provide lubrication as she swirled her finger slowly around the small bud, thinking about performing the same action lower. Feeling the throbbing between her legs increase, she heard the song begin to repeat, and she slowly slid her right hand down over her toned abs, and ran her fingers over the front of her thong. Feeling how damp it was, she groaned, and not wanting to prolong it much longer slid her digits under the waistband, and ran her middle finger between her folds gathering wetness and sliding over her clit. As she touched the sensitive and swollen bud, she moaned and bit her lip. She hadn't been this wet in a long time, and she really wished she could properly thank the person that made this amazing song collection for her. She circled around her clit slowly, dipping down lower to gather more wetness, and the more she repeated the task, the more she could feel her hips buck towards her fingers. On the next pass down, she slid her middle finger in an inch, feeling her pussy tighten around it begging for more. Reaching down with her other hand, she continued rubbing light circles around her clit as she slid her index finger inside as well. Suddenly, the tempo in the song changed noticeably, and Chloe found herself unable to control the speed of her ministrations. She was frantically rubbing indirect circles around the hardened nub, and thrusting two fingers in and out of her tight wet hole, and as Sia's voice blended with the vocals from another song, she curled her fingers up hitting that sweet spot within, and her legs shook uncontrollably as her pussy walls clenched down upon her fingers and she peaked for what seemed like minutes, coming down slowly as the song began to quietly trail off. Reaching over, spent, she turned the music off, and lay in bed, thoughts of Titanium cantaloupes flooding her head. Reaching for a pen and post-it, she scribbled hastily:

The sounds of my desire are suffocating me

there's no place to breathe

if i could replace eating cantaloupe with kissing you

then dying would be alright

"Strange poetry for a stranger," Chloe thought as she quietly changed into her sleepwear and dozed off wondering if someday she might one day be able to give the poem to her secret admirer.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Not my characters, movie, songs, etc. But that doesn't mean I don't love writing with them!

Beca grabbed a heavy crate of CD's, sighing with exasperation as a strand of hair fell out of her loose ponytail and into her eyes. She blew the rogue strand of dark hair out of the way of her vision, and lugged the cases to a shelving unit across the room. It had been over a week since she slipped the flash drive filled with her songs, her feelings, her emotions to Chloe, and she still had no idea if the redhead had even ventured to listen to any of it. In the moment she spontaneously passed the drive along, she felt it was the right thing to do, the music seemed to lead her in that direction; however, the feeling of not knowing was causing all sorts of cacophony in her head. It was as though Chloe's nonchalance was a rhythm she couldn't follow, a tune she couldn't understand, and being unable to harmonize with the music of Chloe was driving her insane. Her normal aloof facade was shattered as Jesse walked up behind her to playfully poke her in the sides. "Jesus, Jesse, what the hell!" She exclaimed, snapping her head to the side to glare at her friend.

Taking a step back, eyes wide Jesse responded, "Whoa Sissy Spacek from Carrie, who dumped pig's blood on you?" Sighing, Beca realized that while she may have things going on in her own life, like those feelings and emotions that were exactly the kind she was used to suppressing, it wasn't fair to take her frustrations out on her best friend. "Sorry dude, it's just been a weird week. And for the record, you don't have to reference the actress; you could have just said 'whoa Carrie'." The sentence was finished with a half smile, and Jesse returned one of his signature grins.

After first meeting her, Jesse developed quite a toner for Beca, but she quickly made it abundantly clear that she wanted nothing more than friendship from him. Despite the fact that he wanted more than friendship initially, after learning she had no interest in movies he acknowledged that a romantic relationship would have been disastrous. Instead, he found that even though her public persona was of cool detached disinterest, she was actually quite a dynamic individual and he loved watching her facade crack. "Seriously, though, Bec, what's up? You seem darker than usual. Which for you is quite an accomplishment." He moved closer, cocking his head to the side, curiosity and concern vividly shining from his dark eyes.

Beca paused mid-shelving, staring at the grasshopper tattoo on her arm. Her instantaneous response was to sarcastically shy away from the question, but she had grown to appreciate Jesse's involvement in her life, and valued his opinion. She looked at her friend, bit her lower lip in thought, and began, "Well, this week..." Her thought trailed off as she glanced at the wall clock, exclaiming, "Seriously? I so don't want to deal with English right now." As soon as she realized that her shift was over and she had her night class in a few minutes, she grabbed her messenger bag hastily and called to Jesse as she left, "I'll fill you in later. It's not a big thing, I've just got stuff on my mind. See you tonight for pizza? After class, around 9?" He nodded in agreement, still puzzled as to why Beca was so distracted, but went back to shelving his own stack of CDs, humming along absently to some Cee-Lo Green song. He wasn't too concerned about Beca; he assumed he'd figure what was going on soon enough. He gave a small wave to his friend as she breezed out the door, headphones firmly in place as she dashed to class.

Sitting in her English composition class, thankful she didn't have her father as the instructor, she zoned out thinking about how Jesse seemed to have gotten under her skin in a way that she didn't entirely mind. She wasn't attracted to him in any way, but was so grateful that because of his warm smile and cheerful personality she felt a little less...alone. It suddenly struck her that not only did she make friends with Jesse in such a short time, but that Chloe had also managed to work her way into her psyche. Chloe with her bright smile, brilliant blue eyes, and that adorable small scar on her forehead, well, Chloe was pretty much someone who the music followed. Beca wasn't used to feeling so close to other people, but in these two cases, she felt exceptions could be made.

Growing up, she never really was the type to have friends; she wasn't disliked or made to feel like an outcast, but rather she purposefully chose activities and hobbies that were naturally intrinsic and required little to no contact with other people. Because of that, she never developed any close relationships with anyone other than her mother. In fact, her mom was really the only constant in her life, other than music. Her father had left them at the crucial time when she was just old enough to have made childhood friends, but too old to fit into the already well developed cliques at her new school. Her mother had to sell the house after the divorce, but even though her mother worked a series of adjunct faculty positions in art departments across many college campuses, her income wasn't enough to sustain the more urban life they had grown accustomed to. In order to stay within their financial means, as well as to satisfy her mother's whimsical nomadic nature, they moved apartments every few years. After the first move, as she adjusted to living in a more suburban environment, she learned to find comfort in different kinds of music, especially within nature. It was shortly after the first time they moved that she found herself walking around the small wooded park outside the suburban development when she heard the grasshoppers for the first time. Their wings were magical to create such beautiful sounds, and she sat down under a large tree and for the first time in her life, she just listened. She listened to the orchestra around her with each individual instrument a different natural occurrence. The trickle of the small stream, the shifting of the leaves in the night breeze, the far off sound of dogs barking, the brilliant chirp of the grasshopper, they all combined together in the finest symphony Beca had ever heard. She had read somewhere that in Japanese folklore, it was said that not only were grasshoppers magical creatures that brought good luck, but that the moon herself coaxed the music from their wings. As soon as she was old enough, she got her first tattoo of a grasshopper to remind her to always listen to the rhythm of the world, to hear music where others could not, because in the notes and tones of the everyday bustle, there was always a beautiful song. In fact, Beca reasoned, part of the attraction to the older Bella was that Chloe reminded her of nature, or rather, she reminded her of that song that night at her first home without her father. Quiet and still at times, exuberant and bubbly at others, Chloe always had so much energy and life bubbling beneath the surface.

Glancing around the room, Beca saw the rest of the students all writing, frantically scrawling as quickly as their pens and pencils would allow. She peeked at the paper of the girl sitting next to her, and saw the topic: "Freewrite." Absently writing about music, her mind wandered to that first night she spent just after dusk in the wooded area and she saw a meteor shoot across the night sky, and as it blazed a trail through the darkness, she made a wish upon it. She wished that she would always be able to hear the song of the world, and so far, her wishing hadn't failed her. Pausing in her writing, Beca glanced outside at the now dark sky, waiting expectantly for a shooting star, but none came.

She started writing about Chloe, but realized her words were music notes, and bars and beats; Chloe had somehow infiltrated Beca's mind and body with an unknown song that always reminded Beca so much of the beautiful sounds in nature. Beca began writing words, words she was never good at expressing, but that she wanted to get out of her mind so she could think about them. She wrote about Chloe, and how she was a song that Beca yearned to play, like the grasshopper's symphony, and she wrote about how she realized that people were much like nature at times; bending like blades of grass in whatever direction the wind blows, or remaining unwavering like a large stone, allowing the world to pass by as they stay unchanged, fixed, isolated. Some people are like rainbows, shimmering, multifaceted and beautiful, just beyond the reach of those who chase them, nothing more than a refraction of light through intangible mist. Others are like stars, brilliant and bright, illuminating the dark and providing guidance and help to those around them, but always from a safe distance. But some people, some people are like meteors...they burn brightly through the night sky, from nowhere quickly, there and gone, but their beauty can never be forgotten. They pierce the atmosphere and our souls so easily, igniting themselves and those around them with passion, scarring us slightly with their intensity and fire. Every so often, upon a wish on a shooting star we're reminded of their passion, brilliance, fire and grace; like Icarus we pray for their heat to once again melt the wax of our realities so that we may plummet to the sea and be engulfed by something larger than ourselves...we refuse to heed Daedalus's warning; we long for the sky to be aflame, we hope that instead of a singular occurrence that meteor returns, perhaps like a comet, situating life into a timely rhythm of presence and absence, light in the dark, and hope that one day the sky will be ablaze and we can dance in the glowing embers of its return.

"Pens down," Beca's professor instructed, and handed out a review sheet the had editing and proofreading tips on it. "Look over what you've written, and try to put it into a narrative or expository writing sample for next class. See you next week folks!" The professor packed up her bag and headed to the exit, followed by the students eager to escape into the the cool evening air. Thinking about creating a mix with nature sounds for Chloe, Beca headed to Jesse's dorm to meet him for a late dinner, and she contemplated how much she should actually tell him about her newfound obsession with the meteor that is Chloe Beale.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Most of the ideas for mash-ups come from my own musical experiences, but I tend to search to see if anything has already been done. I was in luck this time, and the mash-up referenced at the end of the chapter can be viewed here:  watch?v=NYS3ehHtHzc It's a fabulous combination of TaTu's "All the things She Said" and Katy Perry's "E.T. (Futuristic Lover)" in case anyone wanted to check it out. As always, any questions/comments/suggestions please feel free to comment or PM me!

Beca arrived at Jesse's just after 9 as promised, and knocked gently on the heavy wooden door. She knew Benji was probably watching Criss Angel-Mindfreak reruns or something else magic related, and she didn't want to risk disturbing him again as he played with his swords and chains. The last time had resulted in minor bruising for both of them, and she figured she'd rather avoid injury if possible.

"Beca, hey, I thought I heard a knock," Jesse said opening the door with a smile. "You ready to go, or do you wanna chill here for a bit first?" He opened the door wider and took a step back, but Beca was starving and didn't want to miss out on using her meal swipe for pizza.

Hearing her stomach growl, she cracked a half-smile and said, "We should probably head to the Italian Kitchen if we want to use a meal; I'm running low on flex." One benefit of her father's tenured faculty position, despite her anger over his actions, was that in addition to free tuition and housing, Beca got a free meal plan each semester.

"Sounds good, just lemme grab my ID," Jesse said, looking around on his nightstand. Beca looked around the room, and saw the top of a large black box next to Benji's bed open about an inch before shutting slowly.

"_Oh man, Benji_," she thought, "_poor dude is probably going to graduate a virgin_." Unless he met someone like Stacie. She'd have to try to introduce the two of them sometime. It's not like he was a Treble or anything, and it'd be nice for Stacie to date a decent guy instead of some letter-head treating her like a frat mattress. As Jesse began to close the door, she linked her arm in his playfully and tugged him towards the campus dining area.

It was another typically mild fall night, and Beca listened to the rhythm of evening joggers sneakers treading upon the paved walkways, noticing when her heartbeat started to match. Her internal metronome kept time with the slap of rubber on pavement, thudding in a bass beat that seemed to connect her to everything on campus. The irony, of course, was that despite the fact that part of her had no interest in being connected to the college as a whole, the thought that it meant that somehow, in some small way, she was connected to Chloe made her inexplicably happy. She felt a fluttering in her stomach just thinking about the redhead, and as her pulse quickened slightly, her heartbeat fell out of sync with the rhythm she was experiencing. She sighed in resignation, disappointed that the fact that awareness of being connected to Chloe simultaneously acknowledged and severed that connection. Having been quiet and just watching her with curiosity, upon hearing Beca's sigh, Jesse ventured cautiously, "So...what's going on Bec. You've been pretty spacey lately, and I know you're not good with letting people in, but, you know, maybe it would be good for you."

Beca glanced at Jesse, giving him a sarcastic look with a raised eyebrow, and he continued nervously, "Um, not like you have to tell me or anything, I just wanted you to know I'm here for you if you want to talk about it. Or if you'd rather, we could watch a movie," he finished, smiling, knowing how she felt about films, the latter would be like punishment for Beca.

"Seriously? You want to ask me to bare my soul to you right here?" Beca responded, half jokingly half serious. Seeing the hurt look in Jesse's eyes at her comment, she mentally chastised herself and apologetically continued, "Whatever. It's a thing. Basically I like this person, put a few mixes on a drive for them, gave it to then a while ago, but I haven't noticed any reaction from them so I don't even know if they liked them. Shit, I don't know if they even listened to them!" Shaking her head at how annoyingly teen-angsty she sounded, she was amazed to see Jesse holding back laughter. Shoving him gently, she said, "What's so funny?"

Eyes twinkling, he responded, "Nothing. I mean, I just never thought you were the type to get all moony over some boy. Unless the boy was me, of course." He finished with his best attempt at a suave wink, and she rolled her eyes him.

With the swagger and air of detachment he had grown accustomed to seeing her exude, she turned to him and said, "Just because I don't like people overall doesn't mean I dislike all individuals. Anyway, Who said it was a boy?" Noticing that they had arrived at the late night pizza joint on campus, she quickly switched gears saying, "Hey, you wanna split a pie with me? I'm starving." Still processing in disbelief, Jesse shook his head with a look of awe and brotherly love as he tried to decipher her cryptic response, and wrapped his arm around the small girl's shoulders. "Sure, that sounds good Bec." Walking inside to place their order, he figured he'd try to pry for details when they were seated and not surrounded by a hoard of students with late night munchies. _"Besides_," he thought, _"it's probably an older guy she refers to as a man or something."_

Pushing her empty plate away, Beca leaned back in the cafe style chair and sighed. She was stuffed, and probably ate more than she should have, but she resigned to fill Jesse in somewhat and in an attempt to delay it, she continuously put food in her mouth to avoid having to talk. Unfortunately, now that her pizza and fries were all gone, she had no reason not to talk about it. She glanced around, seeing only one other table with 3 people in it across the room, and decided she might as well give this opening up thing a try. Looking up, eyes darting nervously away from Jesse, she decided to just come clean. Taking a deep breath, she began, "So there's this girl that for some reason is amazing. To me, anyway, she's like that perfect song that always speaks directly to you, when you have a certain thought or emotion and it begins to play and it's as if it was written just for you, in that moment, that's how I feel. Like she was written just for me. I know it sounds completely lame, but I can't shake her. Not in a top-40 Rebecca Black kinda way, but more in that song you put on repeat on purpose so it never ends kinda way. Okay you can talk now because I feel super awkward." She stopped to breathe, looking across at her friend.

Jesse nodded and with an understanding look said, "Uh, okay, that's cool, I can roll with that. Whatever makes you happy Bec, I've got your back. So...does she know how you feel? You said you made some mixes, what did she say when you gave them to her?"

Beca looked away biting her lower lip, and said "Well, no, she doesn't know how I feel, and I kind of just slipped the drive into her bag without her noticing, so...now I realize how much of a nerd I sound like, because how would she know? I feel strangely better, though. Is that weird?"

Jesse thought for a moment before replying, "No, it makes sense. You thought she was rejecting you or ignoring the mix, which explains the Carrie moments earlier, but maybe not knowing if she knows and could possibly be into it is better than knowing she knows and is just not into you." He finished with a look of confusion on his face. He started with such a clear image in his head of what he was trying to say, but as usual, the words got in the way.

"No, I get what you're saying. I think you're right. The idea and possibility is better than a concrete no. Thanks, that actually helps a lot!" Beca jumped up, and grabbed her bag heading for the door. Before exiting, she turned around to the still stunned and confused Jesse. "There's something I have to do...but really, thank you. I love you awesome nerd!" With that she disappeared into the night, and Jesse just shook his head in amazement at the new layer of Beca he managed to uncover.

Arriving back at her room, Beca threw her bag onto the floor and grabbed a new flash drive. She was happy to see Kimmy Jin was out, so she didn't need to keep the volume low while spinning her art. Again, on a small piece of tape attached to the non-descript drive she scrawled "For you," but after a moment's hesitation, added "Chloe" so that there could be no confusion for whom these songs were intended. Even if Chloe didn't know who they were from, Beca wanted to be damn sure that Chloe knew they were for her and only her. Closing her eyes, Beca thought of Chloe helping her with choreography at rehearsals. Chloe's hands were on top of Beca's, moving them in the choppy and showy movements of the unoriginal routine. With the warmth of the red head's breath on her neck, Beca lost herself in the song of her would be lover. Thinking only of the electricity that flowed from the older girl's fingertips onto her own, Beca imagined the way Chloe's body would involuntarily sway and move listening to the beats created by the computer. Recording her first track, Beca blended TaTu's "All the things She Said" with Katy Perry's "E.T. (Futuristic Lover)", and the song seemed to speak the words of want, need and desire that Beca was unable to formulate. Fear always in the back of her mind that this drive might be the last Chloe would accept, should she know the identity of the artist, Beca threw herself into her work foregoing any interruptions. Just before the sun began to rise she hastily slid the finished drive under Chloe's door room door. As she collapsed onto her bed, her last waking thoughts were to hope that even if Chloe didn't know who the mysterious flash drives were from, she would know that someone was so moved by the music within that they had to share it with her.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you again for all the reviews; to those who posted as a guest, thank you for your words of encouragement, I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, it really boosts my spirit to know that people are enjoying this! As always, not my characters, I'm just borrowing them! Hope you enjoy the chapter; in this, Chloe, and Beca, and one day, I promise, we'll have Chloe and Beca; but why skip over the great songs on an album just to listen to the radio popular ones? ;)

Chloe awoke to find Aubrey getting dressed for her morning run, and glancing at the clock sighed as the numbers blared their announcement of the day's beginning at her. It wasn't even seven yet, and Chloe hadn't slept well, her fitful dreams plagued by her curiosity over the selection of songs that had mysteriously entered her life days before. Still unsure if they were truly meant for her, the more she listened the more she began to feel a connection to the unknown person that had laced the music together in such a thoughtful and talented woven blanket of music. A security blanket that somehow made Chloe feel special, safe, and, of course, secure. What bothered her most was that she was unable to stop listening to the songs in an attempt to decipher some code or clue to the creator. Bordering on slightly obsessed, she was becoming more and more involved in the imaginary connection that existed within her own heart between herself and the unknown mixer. As her heart opened more each listen, she couldn't shake the tiny voice in the back of her mind that reminded her that the songs might have been given to her by mistake; an accident that would undoubtedly cause her heartbreak if she continued to allow these songs to penetrate her mind. Yawning, she stretched and mumbled a sleepy "Good morning" to her roommate who was finishing her stretches and warm ups before she headed out.

"Morning sleepyhead," Aubrey said jokingly, but with a hint of concern lying under the humorous tone. "Are you feeling okay? Is it your nodes?"

Clearing her throat in an attempt to remove the fogginess from her mind and vocal chords, Chloe sat up and responded, "No, I feel fine, I'm just...I don't know, fixated on that mix of music I got the other day. I can't stop thinking about it. Like, the person behind it. I wonder who he is? Or how he knows me? Or..." She trailed off, not sure what other questions were flying around in her head.

"Well, maybe it was a cathartic release of someone you hooked up with or something. Oh, maybe it's from Tom!" As she mentioned the attractive boys name, Aubrey perked up and moved closer to Chloe. "He seems so into you, how serious is it?" She perched her lithe body on the side of Chloe's bed, eager to live vicariously through her roommate's sexcapades. Focusing on school and the Bella's so much, Aubrey's social life suffered dramatically in the love department.

"Tom?" Chloe responded, blinking, realizing she hadn't heard from him in days, "No, he couldn't have made those songs...he only listens to rap and country. Ew. Imagine that mash-up!" She laughed, picturing the absurdity of her casual boy toy hunched over music equipment toiling for hours to perfect the fluidity of the song flow. "It's weird that no one's said anything though; or like written a note or anything, how am I supposed to know who sent it? Or even if it really was supposed to be for me?" Frustrated, Chloe pulled her covers over her head, and the blonde shook her head, unsure of what to say.

"I don't know, Chloe. But I do know you can't keep losing sleep over it. Your eyes are kind of puffy and we have to be ready for our next performance since the one at Brent's frat went so aca-awful." She turned her nose up in distaste remembering the failed gig at ATO. "We just really need to be in tip-top Bella shape, and besides, you look like hell." She finished her sentence with a twinge of pity, genuinely concerned for her best friend's well being. Aubrey got up and walked toward the door, wanting to complete a quick run before getting ready for class. She heard a small crunch under her running shoe, and stepped back to see what she had stepped on. Another small black flash drive was pressed deep into the carpet, and despite the sound, appeared unharmed. Picking it up, Aubrey saw Chloe's name on it, and tossed it to her roommate as she headed out. "I hope that gives you some answers. Or closure or whatever. We really need to step it up if we want to be the aca-awesome bitches we are."

With that, she was gone, and Chloe was left alone with another small unremarkable flash drive. Upon closer inspection, she saw the familiar block lettering, but felt her heart skip a beat as she read the addition of her name. A sense of relief washed over her, and she signed realizing that this mysterious person's gifts were meant for her, and no other. Despite the anonymity of the talented individual, she could no longer doubt that she was the intended recipient. It was both liberating and frightening, and as she jumped up to load the drive onto her laptop, she could feel the butterflies inside her stomach move to the rhythm of the beats. As the first track began to play, a mash-up of "The Mixed Tape" by Jack's Mannequin and One Republic's "Secrets", she felt her heart swell and knew, without a doubt, she was falling for the unknown purveyor of the soundtrack to her soul.

_  
After listening to each song on the drive multiple times, she set it on shuffle and glanced at the clock. She had missed her morning classes, too infatuated with the mix "tape" to pry herself away from her room. The redhead took a quick shower, and made herself presentable. She moved in autopilot, and with scattered thoughts running through her head as she tried to imagine the person she was suddenly intrigued with, she had an idea. With a sly smile, she sat down at her desk. "_They may have music, but I have words,"_she thought, grabbing a pen and a sheet of paper. They must know where she lived; the flash drive was slipped under the door to her room, after all. She would write a letter, because while she lived by music, she expressed herself through words and lyrics more so than just beats and tunes. With her own soundtrack still playing, Chloe began writing to the rhythm of the music.

_Dear mysterious stranger,_  
_Your music is amazing; it speaks to me, and I don't quite know how you know me so well, but at times when I hear your songs, it's as though you know me better than I know myself. Each beat matches the blood in my veins, each song tells a story I've already lived. How you know these things already is beyond me, but I needed you to know that I love it. I'm not really an open person when it comes to emotions; I mean, I'm outgoing and friendly, but my heart is something that I don't tend to share. It's all I have, at times. My parents were wonderful, but too caught up in their careers to really be there for me; their marriage was a terrible one of convenience and I would be lying if I said the idea of love didn't scare me on some level. When I listened to "Feels so Close to your Folding Chair," it was as if you somehow knew the sadness and distance I live within. How I long for someone to be close to me, but push people away for fear of being hurt and being alone, but how I would give anything to live in a silver bullet trailer with someone who really understands me, watching the world and the ocean pass by as an experience that we aren't a part of because we don't need the world's validation...together, we would be enough. I can't help but think that you, too, are searching for that. "All the Things my Futuristic Lover Said" makes me feel like we already have a deep connection, and I can't help but think we must know each other. I don't want to guess, but I'd love a hint or a clue...anything, just a way to know that you are real, and what I am feeling is real. _

_Our lives are made up of a series of inconsequential meetings and moments interspersed with life altering events...the problem is that the latter often appears as the former, until it is too late to realize that a small glance, an accidental encounter, a jolt of electricity as two meant to be lovers brush against each other is actually a sign of something. My guess is that you, too, are shy or afraid of what you feel. And that's okay. This is just my way of encouraging you, thanking you, and letting you know that you are not alone. We are in this together, and I imagine this journey may not be an easy one, but I am certain that it could be filled with amazing moments. Somehow, you have found a way to capture little moments in jars and call them songs, and I love each and every one of them. I hope that my writing this, by acknowledging and making it real doesn't diminish whatever __**this**_ _is between us. I just thought you should know how your music has moved me. _

_Whoever you are...know that this letter is my song, sung just for you._  
_Chloe_

Setting down her pen, she placed the letter in a small envelope, and wrote "For _you_" in lovely script on the front. After downloading all the songs onto her computer, she placed the first flash drive on top of the envelope and taped it to her door, hoping that her secret admirer would find it. Satisfied that there was nothing more she could do about her situation at the time being, Chloe headed to class, the lyrics and rhythm giving her a bounce in her step.

Later that day, heading back to her room Beca decided on impulse to swing by Chloe's room. She hoped she might catch a glimpse of red hair or catch the faint smell of the older girl's perfume lingering in the hallway. What she found, however, stopped her dead in her tracks. Her flash drive, taped to an envelope with the co-captain of the Bella's unmistakable handwriting on it. Beca glanced around, and seeing the hallway was empty, reached up and grabbed the envelope and drive, shoving it in the pocket of her hoodie. Her heart was racing, and she felt dizzy. For a moment, she was worried she was having a heart attack; or worse, a panic attack. Taking a deep breath, she chastised herself, trying to get a grip on the situation. "_This is a good thing_", Beca thought to herself, "_At least you know she listened. Wait...what if she hated it? What if this is a restraining order?!"_Her thoughts became more jumbled, and before she knew what was happening, she found herself at Jesse's door, knocking loudly and insistently.

"Beca, hey, what's up?" The dark haired boy's eyes narrowed slightly inquisitively, wondering why his friend looked so bewildered.

"I got a letter from her," Beca said, pushing through to collapse on Jesse's bed, nearly upsetting a bowl of popcorn resting on the edge of his comforter.

"Oh!" He responded, his eyes widening, "What did it say?"

"I didn't open it. I was going to, but I was worried she might be creeped out or something, or worse yet, not like the songs, so I couldn't do it alone. Since you're like the only person I trust, I came here."

His eyes lit up, glad she admitted she trusted him. "I'm totally like your lesbro, aren't I?"

She punched him lightly in the arm, and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, dude, just chill while I read this, okay?"

Pulling the letter out of her pocket, Beca's hands were shaking too much to notice the small flash drive get lost in a fold of Jesse's comforter. Opening it slowly, she carefully unfolded the missive, treating it almost reverently. As she began to read, Jesse laughed. Beca's eyes snapped up from the page, shooting daggers at her friend. Slightly upset at his reaction, she bitterly said, "What?"

Chuckling, Jesse shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Nothing!" A moment later, he added, "I can tell it's good news because I've never seen you smile like that before. You're like, really happy. It's weird. Are you a pod person?"

Shaking her head, she reread the letter a few times, and finally placed it gently back in her pocket. "I kind of am, aren't I? Like a happy obsessed pod person." Her brow furrowed, lost in thought. Absently, she spoke her thoughts aloud, "What if she likes me only because she thinks I'm a guy?" She dramatically threw herself down on the Treble's bed, irritated by her own angst.

"So what?" Jesse replied in typical guy fashion. "If she does, well, maybe she'll like you too much to care. If not..well, why fixate on that? She digs you. That's good. Why don't you tell her more about yourself? Maybe include some explanation with the next mix?"

Sitting up, Beca smiled again. Jesse still couldn't get used to the look of joy on his normally dark friend's face, and while a small part of him was jealous that he wasn't the reason behind it, he was glad that his friend was capable of joy.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. Now I know why I keep you around, lesbro," she said, using his own word slightly sarcastically. "Actually, it's a great idea. And I have a great idea for a song, too...thanks!" She called the last part out as she flew out of his room in a whirlwind of energy.

"You're welcome!" Jesse called, figuring that she likely was too far away to even hear the words, but felt the sentiment should be voiced. As he looked around his bed for the DVD he had been ready to watch, he found a small black flash drive. Knowing it was likely not for him to listen to, his curiosity got the better of him, and he slid it into the USB port on his laptop.  
After listening to each song at least twice, Jesse removed his headphones and shook his head in disbelief. Beca was so amazingly talented. He bit his lip, trying to decide what to do. Part of him knew that these tracks were a part of Beca she wasn't ready to share with the world, but what if the world was ready for it? Committing to his decision, he grabbed the drive and headed over to the radio station. He remembered Luke saying that as part of their internship, they'd be allowed one hour to play their own choices on the station next week, provided Luke approved of the song choices. Jesse just had to be sure to get his playlist approved by the older DJ before Beca tried to stop him from playing these great mash-ups on air. "_Besides_," Jesse thought, "_What harm could it do?_"


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you all, your kind words inspire me, they are the rhythm against which these lyrics are formed, and for that I am grateful! As always, sadly, they are not my characters, merely borrowed, and I promise to return them when I'm finished. :)

The week seemed to fly by, filled with rehearsals and frantic mixing for Chloe's next drive filled with songs, but Beca was unable to bring herself to find the words to accompany the music. She had always been so much better at feeling rhythms and music; it was probably what drew her to Chloe in the first place. The redhead seemed to just have a way with words; they flowed from her mouth and her hand like they were born within her, like she knew a word for everything, even perhaps created some. If the music of Beca were to collide with the lyrics of Chloe, it would be a mash-up of epic proportions. To have a perfect mash-up, you need to take two songs that are different enough, but follow the same general chord progression. What made Beca's mixes so extraordinary was that she was always able to combine tunes, but also match words that were already written by another. Resigned to complete at least a short letter to accompany the new music, she headed from her afternoon class, searching for lyrics within the music she felt.

Beca arrived back to her room to find Kimmy Jin and a few of her friends from the Korean Student Association gathered around her roommate's computer watching some Korean sitcom. Unable to think with the laughter and chatter, Beca grabbed her portable gear and silently headed out to the quad to find a quiet place to think. Sitting down, she took a moment to listen to the wind create a slow bass beat against her headphones, and absently began tapping her fingers against her thigh. When she closed her eyes, the music notes seemed to swirl around forming a song, sparks of colors that soon became sharper and she saw red hair, blue eyes, and smiling pink lips framing perfect white teeth. Each body part, like individual music notes coalesced to form a composition, a symphony that was Chloe. As the image became sharper in Beca's mind, she saw the older girl writing the letter to her musically inclined suitor, and the details were so vivid like music tabs and soon the image moved in a rhythmic pulse, and she pictured a strand of red hair falling across the girl's perfectly smooth, pale forehead, She imagined the redhead's soft lips pursed in concentration, parting only to absently chew on a fingernail, and as the orchestration within her mind led Beca to feel the softness of Chloe's lips, she snapped her eyes open and mentally pulled herself together. Shaking herself fully from her reverie, Beca opened up a few mixes she had made for Chloe over the past few days. She was listening to them intently as she stared at a blank word document, waiting for the words to come that would allow her to respond to the heartfelt confessional letter she received earlier. So intent was she on the project at hand that she didn't notice someone sit next to her on the ground. It wasn't until she felt someone touch her shoulder that she started.

"Jesus Christ, Chloe, you scared me!" Beca said, embarrassment at almost having been caught coming off as irritation.

"I'm sorry," Chloe began, genuinely upset she had intruded on what apparently was a private thing. "I was walking back from class and saw you sitting here and thought I'd say hi." Her warm smile caused Beca's heart to melt, and she immediately felt guilty for having snapped. Chloe started to stand, up, but Beca reached out, placing her hand gently on the older girl's wrist.

"No, it's okay, I was just kinda out of it. Stay...please, it'd be nice to have some company." Beca finished her sentence hoping the plea didn't sound as desperate as she felt; she wanted nothing more than to be as close to Chloe for as long as possible, but wasn't quite ready to reveal her identity as the creator of the mash-ups. Besides, it was possible that due to her anonymity she might be able to suss out the situation and see how Chloe felt about it, so she could better prepare herself if the feelings that were fueling the songs were one sided.

Chloe settled back in next to Beca, leaning back on her elbows, eyes closed and chin turned up to the warm afternoon sun. "Mmm, it's really a nice day out. I love fall," Chloe began, breathing in the smell of earth and grass, fresh air and coffee from the coffee cart a few yards away. "It's my favorite season."

Beca looked at the girl, whose eyes were still closed, taking advantage of Chloe's nonchalance to survey each inch of the beautiful girl. She had seen Chloe naked in the shower, but due to the briefness and awkwardness was unable to memorize enough details, such as the precise way her red hair curled at the bottom near her shoulder, or the way in which the hollow of her throat looked so soft. The small scar on her forehead, that Beca remembered, and because Chloe was so beautiful, Beca found the scar most attractive. It was an imperfection, a flaw, yet Chloe never tried to cover it with makeup; it was as though it was a badge of some kind of courage, and Beca yearned to know the origin of it. Realizing that Chloe probably was awaiting a response, she said, "Really? Fall? I would have pegged you for the Spring type." As Chloe looked to her, Beca quickly continued, trying to avoid the staccato notes the piercing blue eyes played in her heart, "You know, things blooming and growing and becoming bright and sunny. Why fall?"

Chloe readjusted her weight, which brought her arm and side closer to Beca, lightly grazing her torso, and Beca focused all her energy on not moaning at the electric shock that seemed to course between her skin and the oblivious girl next to her. "Well, I guess it's because I like the colors. And the smells," Chloe said brightly, her voice musical even when just speaking. "I like the idea of a brilliant blaze of glory before everything turns cold and dark. How about you? What's your favorite season?"

Beca, uncomfortable with the closeness between them that made her head spin tried to turn away, but her hand slipped and she ended up falling nearly on top of Chloe's chest. Catching herself, she found her head less than an inch from Chloes, her mouth so close to the red head's that she could feel the warm breath that smelled like peppermint and honey. Jumping back, she apologized profusely, but Chloe didn't seem to mind. As the older girl laughed kindly, though, she couldn't help but wonder why she suddenly felt a surge of energy surge through her veins. She also was unsure as to why she couldn't stop staring at Beca's lips, now a few feet away, but no less engrossing than when they were millimeters away from her own.

Regaining her composure, Beca realized she had yet to answer Chloe's question, and clearing her throat said, "I like winter. I know, typical, right? But I don't think of it like winter and death and coldness. For me, I think of winter like a dark summer. There's beauty in it, there's a holiday in it, and there's time away from school and life to just...be. I like being able to get away from stuff, whether it's fall or spring, there always seems to be so many demands, you know? I like my dark summer because it's like a song that's always stuck in my head, but until it plays in the calendar year, I don't know the lyrics. But the moment it does, I sing along and it all makes sense. Though now I'm wondering if I sound crazy when I say it out loud." She had noticed a faraway look in Chloe's bright blue eyes, and was worried she was boring her. Truthfully, Chloe felt the warmth rising through her stomach to her cheeks, Beca's imagery was so lovely. She never imagined the dark alternative girl was capable of such beauty, but looking at her in the late fall afternoon light, the shadows seemed to disappear.

"No, I totally get that! Is it too late to change my favorite season to dark summer?" Chloe asked, nudging the brunette with her shoulder gently and playfully.

"Sure," Beca said, "As long as you don't tell everyone about it. You know how alt. I am. I'd have to pick a less popular season," she deadpanned, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Chloe responded with a smile, glancing at her watch. "Damn, I'm supposed to meet Aubrey for dinner. Want to come with?" She asked, hoping the eagerness didn't come across too strongly.

Beca thought for a second, but decided if she didn't work on this letter to Chloe now, she might never get up the nerve to write it. "Um, thanks, but I'd rather have dinner with Bumper. I actually think he might like me more than Aubrey."

Chloe laughed at the absurd truth to the dark haired girl's statement, and stood up stretching her long legs. "Well at least you wouldn't have to worry about Bumper puking on you," she joked. "Though I was right about something, you know."

The sparkle in Chloe's eyes spurned Beca's curiosity, and looking up she asked, "What's that?"

"I knew we were going to be fast friends. I'm rarely wrong about these things." She said, fake seriousness written all over her face. "Really, though, we should hang more often. I like you, Beca. See you later!"

With that she was gone, and Beca leaned back on the grass, the words playing over and over in her mind, her new favorite song. _I like you, Beca...I like you, Beca...I like you, Beca..._ She began to hum along, and opening her laptop, began to type. _

Chloe rushed across campus, heading to meet Aubrey, running uncharacteristically late. She almost flew past the radio station, but something seemed to pull at her heartstrings, forcing her to a halt in front of the speakers outside the station. She listened for a moment, unsure at first, but as the song continued, she was positive she knew it. That mash-up, what was it called..."I'm Gonna Be Titanium", one of _her_ songs, from her admirer, was playing. It was beautiful and it was hers, and she leaned against the glass to get a better look at the person who was airing the song. Cupping her hands to cut through the glare, she backed away shocked. It was the new Treble, Jesse. She maybe had met him twice; how did he...why did he...her thoughts were jumbled as she peered intently through the window. He had the station headphones on, his eyes were closed, but he was tapping out the rhythm perfectly. He knew the song by heart, just as well as she did. Thinking perhaps it was a fluke, she listened to the song end, and a new one began. When she recognized the beat, she pulled herself away from the radio station and headed to the dining area. Walking slowly now, deep in thought, she no longer cared about being late to meet Aubrey. Ugh, Aubrey, with her hatred for all things Treble. She sighed, wondering how long she could keep this from her best friend, glad she no longer had to obsess over who created those songs for her. But what she couldn't quite figure out, though, is why she wasn't more happy to learn who her mystery mixer was.

Chapter 8 coming shortly...


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for reading so far, and double thanks for the reviews! It is likely that the pace will pick up quickly after this chapter, (at this point I anticipate about 4 or 5 more until this particular story has run its course) and much drama and emotions will ensue; enjoy this calm before the proverbial storm :) But don't forget...without storms there would be no rainbows!

_Chloe,_  
_I've never been good with words, music was always my first language and English seems so foreign to me at times. Like the words available can never quite explain what I feel or think, as though it's a language meant for someone else, but not me. I learned how to use it, sure, but my native tongue has always been in rhythmic tones and beats, not letters and words, so forgive me if I stumble and my letter isn't nearly as awesome as yours was. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'm real, very real, and the connection you wrote about it definitely not one sided. I find myself thinking about you pretty much all the time, and ever song I hear reminds me of you in someway. You know, I hear music in so many places...because of that, I guess it means that I always feel like you're around me. I hope that's less creepy than I think it might be, but I don't mean to be creepy, I just want to know more about you. If you listen to my songs, you can feel what I feel, but you can ask me anything you want, too. I want to know more about all that is Chloe. For example, why did you get a ladybug tattoo? Where did you get the (adorable) scar on your forehead? What's your favorite color? If you could take only three things with you on an island for a year, what would they be? I think I've embarrassed myself enough for now, but I hope you now know that I'm real, not too terribly strange, and that despite the fact that we don't know each other that well, I really like you Chloe._

_Always,_  
_Your very own personal DJ_

Beca reread the letter she had typed on the computer, and satisfied enough with the results, she began to copy it by hand in her small block printing. Despite the fact that she was okay with opening up in a personal letter, she didn't feel quite ready to bare her soul by revealing who she was quite yet. If Jesse was correct, and Chloe did really like the person behind the music, maybe after a while it wouldn't matter that the person behind the music was a girl. After copying a few music files onto yet another flash drive, Beca dropped the small plastic device inside an envelope with her letter and stuffed it in the rear pocket of her jeans. She'd swing by Chloe's on her way to grab something to eat, but she wanted it to be hidden just in case she ran into the older girl along the way. She had sent Jesse a text to see if he wanted to meet up with her, but even half an hour later he had yet to reply. Even though it wasn't like him not to respond, she figured he got caught up in rehearsal with the Trebles. Shrugging it off, she grabbed a lightweight hoodie and headed toward the room Chloe and Aubrey shared.

As she approached the co-captains room, Beca listened intently for any sign of movement inside. Looking around, she saw no one in the hallway, and quickly shoved the envelope under the door. Walking away quickly, she rounded the corner too sharply and ran into something soft and warm. Stumbling back a step, Beca looked up, eyes narrowed in annoyance that quickly gave way to nervousness when she recognized the person she collided with was Chloe. She only hoped that Chloe wouldn't associate her with the envelope...at least not yet.

"Beca, I am like so sorry! I don't even know where my mind was!" Chloe apologized profusely, reaching out a hand to steady the smaller brunette who looked visibly shaken.

Smiling in an attempt to appear less guilty, Beca's expression softened and she laughed. "It's really okay, I wasn't paying attention either. Are you okay?" She asked, trying not to appear overly concerned.

"Totally! I'm good. Hey, were you looking for me?" Chloe asked, praying the hopefulness in her voice wasn't readily apparent.

"Um, no, I was just, I had to drop notes off down the hall for someone," Beca tried to make the lie sound convincing, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation at the imaginary classmate.

"Well, if you're not doing anything, want to hang out for a bit?" Chloe appeared collected, but Beca noticed that she had drawn her lower lip between her teeth, biting it nervously.

Momentarily forgetting that she had just left one of the most awkwardly personal letters under the door she was being asked to enter, Beca readily agreed. The idea of spending more time with the personable redhead was clearly overriding any sense of preservation she might have had. After consenting, she followed the taller girl back to her room, and again bumped into her as the older girl stopped quickly and bent to pick up the envelope. Unfortunately, Beca didn't have enough warning to stop herself, and the momentum sent her reeling on top of Chloe for the second time that day. Landing in a tangle of limbs on the carpet, the two laughed comfortably, and as Chloe flashed her a wink and a smile, Beca joked about them "Always ending up like this these days." Chloe tried to read the younger girl's emotions, but under the smoky eye makeup, the grey-blue eyes gave no secrets away.

As they rose, Chloe couldn't tear her eyes away from the envelope clasped in her hands that bore the handwriting she was growing accustomed to. "Chloe" was all that was written on it, but she could feel both a letter and another drive inside the vague wrapping. Knowing she shouldn't ask, but unable to stop herself, Beca gestured nonchalantly to the note, and in a surprisingly even voice asked, "Love letter?"

Chloe's head snapped up, quickly remembering she wasn't alone, and smiled softly at her friend. "Sort of. I don't know. It's weird. But kind of wonderful? I don't know." Her voice trailed off. It was too soon to start to talk about the situation, especially with Beca, though she wasn't sure quite why she felt that way. Brushing off the way the shorter girl's eye contact made her stomach flutter, she firmly decided it had to be because she was pretty sure Beca liked that Jesse boy. She groaned inwardly. What a mess this was becoming! Placing the letter on her desk to deal with later, she flung herself gracefully onto her bed, grabbing one of her many throw pillows. Seeing that Beca was still standing in the center of the room, she patted the bed next to her. "Have a seat. I don't bite!" She raised an eyebrow, and the corner of her mouth turned up an a half smile. For a brief moment, she thought she saw a flash of something akin to desire reflected in Beca's eyes. But as soon as she thought she saw it, it vanished, replaced with the brunette's signature sarcastic eye roll.

"So what do you usually do in the evening, Miss Beale?" Beca asked in a feigned reporter voice, extending an invisible microphone that the redhead immediately leaned over to speak into.

"Well, dahling, I generally work on homework, or read, listen to music, the usual activities of a woman of my class." Chloe answered in a faux upper-class voice.

"So what kind of music do you like?" Beca adjusted her weight on the bed, bringing her body in contact with Chloe's, and sensing no resistance from the older girl, Beca allowed the contact to continue. It was simultaneously jolting and comforting, something akin to listening to a song that gave you chills while setting your skin on fire. Beca decided it was her new favorite feeling, and hoped that Chloe didn't hear the soft sigh escape her lips.

The taller girl jumped up, and Beca immediately feared she had overstepped her boundaries, but relaxed when she saw Chloe was just moving over to her laptop. Chloe looked over to Beca, and before she could stop the words, began nervously rambling, "I don't usually talk about music. My favorite music, anyway, the kind that really moves me or gets to me, or makes me feel something. I mean, sure, radio songs I sing to and stuff we perform with the Bella's, that's for everyone, but some music I feel is just for me. It's probably because...nevermind, it doesn't matter, anyway, I feel really, um...close to you? Like we have some kind of deep soul-sister type connection. Wow does that sound corny. Anyway, listen to this..." her words faded out as she hit play on her computer, the familiar tones of Beca's own mix permeating the air.

For a moment, Beca felt as though she couldn't breathe; it was all just too much. The music, the sounds of her creation reverberating through Chloe, around Chloe, watching the beautiful form of the other girl sway, her perfect lips moving along with the song Beca had placed together, it was surreal. Beca's breath caught in her throat, and she closed her eyes to try and slow her heartbeat and her breathing, allowing her breaths to naturally conform to a slower tempo. It was as though she was creating a new mash-up of herself and her song, the song that was Chloe, but also adding in the reality of Chloe. As she opened her eyes, she saw that Chloe's eyes were now closed and she had a beautiful, serene look of pure content on her face. Beca couldn't help but feel a sense of joy filling her heart; for the first time in a very, very long time, Beca Mitchell felt happy. Realizing the absurdity of the moment, reeling herself in before she launched herself across the room into the arms of the girl she was most certainly falling for, Beca did what she did best; she built up walls around her heart, cocooning her emotions in a sea of bass beats and drums that drowned the feelings she had been succumbing to just moments before. When the track ended, Beca shyly admitted that it was awesome, and then politely excused herself to go finish an assignment. Chloe, already speculating about the contents of the still unopened letter gave Beca a warm parting hug that she hoped didn't make the younger girl feel uncomfortable, and wondered again why she enjoyed the company of the brunette as much as she did, and why she seemed to feel and hear music more clearly when Beca was around.


	9. Chapter 9

The moment Beca left, Chloe gingerly tore open the letter from her maybe not-so-secret-anymore admirer, and began to read eagerly, searching for a connection to Jesse that she so desperately felt must be there. After the fifth reading, Chloe finally felt prepared to answer the questions contained within the note that accompanied the newest drive of what she was sure were beautiful songs. Really, given her lack of knowledge of the Treble, she felt that she should feel more apprehensive in corresponding, but her desire to learn more about the creator of the mixes overrode her apprehension. She placed the flash drive to the side of her desk, firmly making the internal decision to revisit it after she replied to the awkwardly adorable letter.

_To my very own dear and wonderful DJ,_

_I loved your letter; your words pulled at parts of my heart that haven't been moved in so very long, and it was both a pleasurable and worrisome experience for me. I am good with words, at times, though I have the unfair advantage of being a senior English Lit. major; however, your ability to wind song lyrics and rhythms to match my emotions are far superior to any missives I may produce. If you're wondering about the odd use of the word worrisome, it is purely because you have, in such a distanced way, broken through so many barriers I seldom let people know even exist, and almost never let people know. Despite that, I feel an undeniable connection to you, and it is with my heart open and soul bared that I continue along this, whatever this may be, in order to get a better sense of who you are. First, you wish to know the humble origins of my ladybug tattoo; it's interesting that you even noticed it, as it is tiny and unremarkable, but your attention to detail is clearly an asset to your DJ skills, so here goes. _

_I mentioned before that my parents were never really around that much on a day to day basis, but the person who was each and every day from birth until my teens was my Nana. My mother's mother was a remarkable woman. She lived for both music and words, for her, neither could exist without the other. In her youth, she wrote and sang radio jingles for national and local products, and brought life and vitality to all those around her. Her favorite place was a small community garden a block from her house, and as soon as I was old enough to accompany her, she would take me there. As I grew older, she taught me the names of each plant, and with it, the beauty and stillness that nature could afford. Each year for a few weeks, the garden seemed to crawl with ladybugs, and I was always fascinated by their movement and resilience. Nana started calling me her little ladybug, as I always seemed right at home in the garden, as though there was no other place I could think to exist. We'd spend hours there, singing old jingles and making our own, and the day she passed away, I went to the garden, which at that time of year should have been teeming with our small red friends, but I saw only one solitary ladybug perched on her favorite flower. A year later, when I turned 18, I got the tattoo to remember her, and so that I would feel a little less alone in this world. _

_This took a depressing turn, I am so sorry! I will reply about the scar later, as it requires reenactment for the full effect, but my favorite color is blue. Not bright blue, or sky blue, but more of the grey blue the sky is in the late afternoon. Finally, if I could only take three things with me on an island for a year, I'd take a notebook and pencils to write with, and someone who I really connect with, as I believe there is no substitution for human connectivity. Now, my strange and mysterious suitor, I wish to know more about you! Why haven't you told me who you are? What is your favorite color? What three things would you take with you on an island for a year? Do you have any tattoos, and if so, why did you get them?_

_I think of you always, you know, and since the day I first found your first mix, I've listened to almost nothing but your music; it's become my own personal rhythm, and for some reason, I needed you to know that. _

_I wanted you to know that my song has finally found it's rhythm._

_~Chloe_

Checking the letter for errors, Chloe smiled, hoping that perhaps Jesse might reveal his identity soon enough so she could get to know more about him. After all, he was the one who seemed to know her so very well, it was only fair that she get to know more about the person who had paired and composed symphonies for her. She wasn't surprised to find her letter gone the next morning, having taped it to her door again with the words, "For you" scripted boldly on the front. Not wanting to wait around too eagerly for response, she prepared for the day and headed to her early morning class.

Exiting her Feminist Modernist Literature class, very pleased with her answers regarding interpretation of h.d.'s _Helen in Egypt_, she wanted to bounce ideas regarding the reticence of the DJ to share their identity publicly with her. Scrolling through her cell, she sent Aubrey a text. "What're you up to after class this afternoon? Hang-time with your roomie?" A moment later, Aubrey's reply flashed across her screen. "Can't, research party in the lib all day, but you're welcome to join if you want." Contemplating getting a head start on her final research paper, Chloe decided against it, figuring she'd work on it over Thanksgiving Break. After politely declining the blonde's invite, her thumb hovered over another name in her phonebook for a moment, then pressed down decisively, and she sent another message. "Hey, it's Chloe, got your number from Aubrey's rehearsal list...what're you up to this afternoon?" Beca's response came a minute later, indicating that her last class ended at 2 and she had no plans the rest of the evening. Chloe's face lit up when she received the text from the younger Bella, and hastily tapped out a response. "I hate to get coffee alone. Join me at Java Juice after class?" The redhead unconsciously bit her lower lip in nervous apprehension, but Beca's response again seemed instantaneous. "Sure, sounds good. See you then." The day was just beginning, but Chloe felt as though it somehow had many wonderful things in store for her.

Chloe was sitting at a small cafe table outside the coffee shop when she saw Beca approach. Standing quickly, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl in what she hoped wasn't an invasion of personal space. Feeling soft but strong arms return the embrace, she sighed in relief, catching a whiff of jasmine from the brunette's shampoo. Stepping toward the coffee counter, Chloe realized her arm was still wrapped around Beca's, but Beca wasn't resisting, so Chloe shrugged it off. It felt good to be close to someone, especially knowing that the someone wasn't prone to being touchy-feely. Chloe felt a sense of pride swell realizing that Beca must trust her to let her close. Noticing a strange look in Beca's eyes, Chloe took a step away, releasing the younger girl's arm, and ordered a latte. Beca requested a plain drip coffee, black, and Chloe made mental note of the other girl's coffee order. Who knows when it might come in handy? Walking back to a small table, Chloe saw that Beca looked a little on edge. More so than usual, anyway.

"Everything okay?" Chloe asked, hoping that her actions didn't offend the more withdrawn Bella.

"Yeah, I'm good, I was actually just, uh, I mean..." Beca's voice trailed off and looked around searching for a distraction.

Noticing that Beca seemed flustered, Chloe smiled reassuringly, trying to put her friend at ease. "It's okay, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She hoped her sincerity was evident, and seeing Beca return a smile, she felt a flutter in her stomach. Beca really had beautiful eyes...blue and grey, just the color of late afternoon in fall. Her smoke colored eye shadow completed the skyscape and Chloe couldn't stop staring.

"No, really, it's just that I like this person, you know, I mean I don't know why I feel so drawn, but they are pretty much everything I've always wanted; well, wanted to be around, and something about it just makes me want to be close to them, like all the time. Dude, I know, I sound like such a creeper, but really, it's kind of a new feeling for me. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet." She finished with a laugh, the tension melting from her body evident in her relaxed posture.

Chloe bit her lip, and hearing her order called, stood up quickly to go retrieve her drink. Inside, she mentally kicked herself, wondering how the hell she always ended up in predicaments like this. Of course Beca liked Jesse. The same Jesse that seemed to be in love with her, if the mixes were any indication, and returning to the table, she sighed in relief to see a familiar form approaching. She had never before been so glad to see Tom in her life.

"Hey Chloe, party at ZBT tonight, you coming?" He leaned against a pillar, flashing a large confident smile.

She hadn't seen Tom in so long, she had basically forgotten about him. A business major with little ambition outside of carnal pleasures, he no longer seemed to fit in Chloe's life. Panicking, her eyes flew to Beca's face, silently begging her to invent a reason she wouldn't be able to make it. Finding Beca staring intently at her coffee, Chloe blurted, "Well, Beca and I had plans tonight."

"That's cool," Tom said, rearranging his long arms to lean down on their table, "why don't you bring her too?"

Looking up, Beca answered, unable to mask the irritation in her voice. "Uh, hi, shower guy, right? Thing is, I'm not exactly a party kind of girl. But I'm sure Chloe and I can reschedule so she can make an appearance."

"Great. See you tonight, Chlo." And with that, Tom was gone, and Chloe was now committed to going to a party she really didn't want to attend. At least not alone.

"Beca, can I be completely honest with you?" Without waiting for a reply,Chloe continued, "Tom and I were casually hooking up, but then I started falling for someone else, so I've been avoiding him; will you please, pretty pretty please, come with me tonight?" Looking intently at Beca, Chloe held her breath awaiting a response.

Beca sighed, hoping that the gut wrenching pain at hearing Chloe was falling for someone wasn't reflected in her face, and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, for you. Damn, Beale, can anyone say no to you?"  
Chloe laughed, and pretended to think for a moment.

"Probably, but no one I like, so I suppose that's all that matters, right?" For the second time in as many days she had said she liked Beca; she chastised herself for being so blatant, and immediately began worrying about how she could avoid getting too drunk. Looking at Beca with sober eyes already gave her butterflies; plus she tended to be a very chatty drunk. What if she let it slip that Jesse was apparently in love with her? Chloe winced, vowing to monitor her consumption of alcohol, as it would definitely be a terrible idea to be intoxicated around the brunette. Making eye contact, she felt her heart flutter, and couldn't help but wonder what kind of drunk Beca was. She mentally slapped herself at the next thought, but it filled her mind anyway, paying no heed to the cortex smack. God she hoped the younger girl was a touchy-feely drunk.

Chloe wasn't wrong. Not only was Beca a touchy feely drunk, but she was talkative and seemed to be really opening up with her. It felt good to get to know Beca more, but at each story, each description of her parent's divorce or her inability to fit in at school, Chloe wanted to wrap Beca in her arms and just hold her tightly. Beca's sarcasm and snark were gone; what remained was an adorable girl who had endured more pain than kindness in her life, and Chloe needed nothing more than to show her how beautiful she really was. After downing her 5th or 6th Jack and Coke, Beca pulled Chloe closer and whispered to her. The still sober Chloe felt the warm breath caress her ear, and the hand that Beca placed on her knee almost burned her skin with the contact. Realizing she didn't actually hear a word that was spoken, she apologetically asked Beca to repeat herself.

"What...what do you want to do after school?" Beca asked a second time, her blurry eyes trying to focus.

Chloe smiled, setting her drink down. She had learned early freshman year that appearing drunk was better (and often safer) than actually drinking. Realizing that no one drinks tonic water earnestly, she navigated countless parties guzzling tonic water with lime, nearly always without gin, and so far, no one had ever been the wiser. Smiling, she said, "I want to write. Novels, yes, but I see that as a hobby. As for a career, I'll likely end up copy editing or indexing at a publishing company somewhere. What about you?" Beca's eyes had drifted closed, and Chloe realized that the younger girl was probably close to passing out. Taking the still full drink from Beca's hand, the taller girl helped Beca stand, and they left the fraternity house, heading back toward the dorms. She had no idea what room Beca lived in, and when asked, Beca seemed to only mumble, so with her arm around the shorter girl, the redhead guided the stumbling drunk back to the room she shared with Aubrey, hoping that her roommate was asleep.

As luck would have it, the blonde was completely out of it, her long practice of sleeping with headphones drowning out even Beca's drunken stumbling and laughter. Navigating her to the bed, Chloe tripped over the carpet and both girls tumbled onto the mattress, Chloe sprawled on top of Beca's soft form.

"You're so beautiful...I see music notes in your eyes." Beca was too drunk to hear the words come out, and Chloe, looking down lost herself in the sky of Beca's eyes. Knowing she shouldn't take advantage of the intoxicated state of her guest, Chloe tried to think of something else, anything else, but when she felt Beca's tiny hands snake across the base of her spine, Chloe gave into the fire she felt within. Leaning closer, noses brushing slightly, Chloe could feel Beca's breath against her lips, and closing her eyes, Chloe gently collapsed onto Beca, their lips melding together. The moment their lips touched, Chloe felt a current run through her body, from her heart down between her legs, and she eagerly deepened the kiss, moaning. As her lips parted to release a sigh, she felt a warm tongue swipe slowly against her bottom lip, as if asking for entry. Chloe couldn't help but smile, and wished more than anything that she could taste only the sweetness of Beca's mouth, and not have to search for it beneath layers of booze and soda. Beca's hands traced circles up Chloe's back, sliding cautiously under her shirt, and for a moment, Chloe could swear she felt Beca gently tapping a rhythm along the back of her rib cage. Feeling her pulse quicken, Chloe slid her own fingers under Beca's black tank-top, her flannel shirt already discarded on the floor somewhere. With a moan, Beca reacted to Chloe's fingers by unconsciously sliding her jean clad thigh between Chloe's legs, her dress riding up near her waist. As the redhead felt the fabric brush against the thin fabric of her thong, she let out a low purr that Beca reacted to immediately by applying more pressure with her leg. Chloe was panting, and tried to control her ragged breaths, but felt Beca's fingers entwine in her hair, crushing their lips together again. Suddenly, Beca pulled back, shock and fear written on her face.

"I'm so sorry!" the smaller girl said, tears blurring her eyes. Before Chloe even had a chance to utter a word, or question why she was sorry, Beca had vanished out the door,. Alone except for the lightly snoring Aubrey, the click of the latch reverberated in Chloe's ears. Fighting back her own tears, the redhead picked up a blue and grey flannel from the floor, and wrapped it around herself, deeply breathing the scent of Jasmine and Beca in. Emotionally drained, she drifted off to sleep, the taste of Jack Daniels and cola still on her lips.

A/N: I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but I assure you, happiness will come, good things will happen, and issues will eventually be resolved. This truly ended up a little more angst-ridden than intended, so hopefully it's working itself out. That being said, what is currently weighing on my mind is deciding what, exactly, caused Chloe's scar; suggestions or ideas are always welcome, feel free to provide input! :)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So sorry for the time lapse since last update; thank you all for waiting patiently, and for allowing yourselves to follow along with this BeChloe song. Though it may seem like a sad love song, I assure you it will end on a happy note. (See what I did there?) :) Also, thank you all for your feedback concerning Chloe's scar origins, I've decided that instead of explicting it here, I would do a series of one-shot Chloe-centric short fics (featuring Beca, of course) that will explore all of the options presented, as well as a few I'm kicking around. If I haven't asked you already, would any of you mind if I incorporate your suggestions in the backstory of Chloe's scar in those fics? If so, that's completely fine, I'd hate to steal intellectual property; just PM me if it's not cool. Or if it is, and you have any other suggestions! Speaking of intellectual property: not my characters, sadly, though I'm super glad they were created so that I could play with them!

The fiercely bright sunlight pierced through the open window, sending daggers of pain through Beca's brain. She slowly eased her eyes open, but then snapped them quickly shut upon encountering the unrelenting glare of the late morning sun. With a groan, she pulled her blanket over her head, the activities of the previous night assaulting her in waves of images, and colors of sounds. The cacophony of distorted nuanced rhythms reverberated throughout her aching skull, until a particular memory of red hair and soft lips came rushing over her like a tidal wave. She had kissed Chloe; or maybe Chloe had kissed her. The details were still slightly fuzzy, but one thing was for sure. She clearly remembered the sensation of Chloe's lips against her own, the taste of their tongues mingling, and the breathy sounds the redhead made as their limbs entwined. Groaning, she stumbled to her desk, fumbling in the drawer for something to alleviate the intense throbbing in her head. Unscrewing the cap quickly she swallowed two aspirin with half a bottle of room temperature water, and fought the urge to gag on the tepid liquid. As she eased back down into her bed, she dozed off again, hoping that after the hangover subsided she'd be more clear on the details of the night before.

When Beca awoke again it was well after noon, and her phone was filled with unanswered texts and missed calls. Most were from Jesse, filled with spoilers released online about a new Wachowski siblings movie he had been waiting to see, but Beca skimmed over them seeking the one text that stood apart from the rest in her inbox. Simple, brief, lacking any information or hint of emotions the text from Chloe only read: "Hope you got home okay." Was she concerned? What time was it sent? Checking, she noticed the time stamp wasn't set, and Beca couldn't begin to guess if it was right after she left while they were both drunk, or this morning after they had sobered. Not knowing how to respond, wanting to say a million things about how amazing last night was, but fearing that Chloe's judgement the previous evening was clouded by liquor, Beca decided to say nothing at all. At least, not through a text. Grabbing her laptop, she sat upright in bed and began typing a response to Chloe's last letter. She began with the intent of just coming clean, but at the last moment she figured she should stay inconspicuous just a little bit longer. After all, what if Chloe regretted last night? What is she was embarrassed? Deciding to play it safe, Beca committed to the words, hinting at her identity, testing the waters, tentative notes on a fragile borrowed instrument.

_Chloe, _

_I've written this letter a dozen times in my head, but each time I begin to put the words down they fall short of what I wish to actually say. Instead of a long winded and winding jumble of letters that fall together like leaves on an autumn day, I'll answer your questions the best I can. Why haven't I told you who I am? Honestly, it's because I'm terrified. I've always created music mixes, but since meeting you, they've become so much more than an extension of myself and my need to blend tunes. It became a way through which I can express how I feel about you, how I can describe you. Did you ever read that excerpt from "Revenge of the Lawn" called I was trying to describe you to someone? He can't think of the words and finally settles on saying that his love interest is like electricity. How it brightened everything and brought the dark world into the light; illuminating everything in it's path. I think you're kind of like electricity, fast and bright, changing the way I look at the world. I wish with a flick of a switch I could reveal who I am, but I fear that despite how you think you feel about me, it would be a letdown to know me. Like fall. I know it's your favorite season, how it's beautiful and it's the end of something dissipating slowly in a rush of brightness. So many people love fall...what if I'm like fall, but not the red and golden leaves crisply fluttering from the trees in a sea of music crackling; what if I'm the end of November, cold and empty, winter just around the corner, everything dead and vacant in my path. I want to be early fall for you, Chloe. I've already fallen for you. I just don't want to be the end of fall; I don't want this fall to end. _

_My favorite color is the sound I hear when you sing. The bright bursts of kaleidoscopic sound waves that reverberate at such a beautiful pitch that I can see and hear colors. I couldn't describe the color, it's not on any palate, but it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen._

_Items to take with me for a year; this is difficult. I'd love to say music, but any means of listening to it would require a power source, which would be too difficult to factor in, so I'd say I'd like to take with me only you. Truth be told, you have become my own soundtrack, my own musical muse, and together we could make a year on a deserted island seem both like a forever harmony and a brief song. The other two items I would take would be a notebook and pencil for you, because I'd want you to be happy and able to write while there. _

Beca paused for a moment, thinking about the next question. Chloe had clearly seen her tattoo on her wrist many times, and she never hid the flower on her shoulder; she contemplated baring her soul and putting it out there, but the words wouldn't come. Sighing, she tried to think back to when Chloe had burst into her shower demanding she sing. Did she see her back clearly? Deciding it was the safest route, especially since she didn't want to lie to Chloe, Beca continued typing.

_I have a few tattoos, but one that no one really sees is on my back. It's lines and bars that are a segment of my mother's favorite song, designed to look like the electronic lines on the equipment I use to match beats. Someday I'll play the song for you, I think. I'd like to share that with you. Until next time, I leave you with all I have to give; my music, these songs that express what my words cannot, arranged for you, and only you, because for me, music is what feelings sound like._

_Always,_

_Your DJ_

Reading it over a few times, Beca groaned inwardly at the cheesiness, but was still too hungover to deny that it was honest and probably the best she could cobble together. Copying it by hand, she carefully selected the songs she had made for Chloe, and as per her usual inconspicuous way, slid the envelope silently under the door she had bolted out of the night before.

When she returned to her own room, Kimmy Jin was studying, and looked up long enough only to shoot a glare in Beca's direction. Rolling her eyes, Beca took a seat in front of her laptop, placed her headphones on and prepared herself to begin mixing what she hoped would be her final compilation delivered to Chloe in secrecy. Just before she hit play, she picked up her phone to respond to Chloe's text. She stared for a moment, not sure how to begin. Deciding to play it cool, she finally tapped out, "Hey, I made it back fine, had a hell of a hangover though. Starting to feel better now. How are you feeling? What happened last night?" She hit send, and when no reply came instantaneously, she went back to the sound board. Until she knew how Chloe felt about everything that transpired, Beca wanted to keep her heart safe; the walls she constructed existed for a reason, and even though she seemed to always let Chloe in, she was not about to let the red head cause her undue pain. _ _ _

Chloe awoke the next morning, heart heavy and mindd fuzzy. Despite the fact that she had refrained from consuming alcohol, the taste of Beca's lips had left her intoxicated in another way, and she craved the connection again. When she hadn't received a response back from the younger girl, Chloe's heart started unraveling; it was clear to her that Beca was thoroughly intoxicated and it had been a drunken hookup at best, a sinful mistake at worst. That evening when she noticed the envelope under her door, her heart simultaneously leapt and sank. She might not have Beca; but perhaps she could salvage something of the mysterious advances of Jesse. Once he finally revealed himself to her, she could deal with Aubrey's hatred of all things Treble, and she could figure out if he really had such a perfect connection. As she listened to the new mix, she could think of nothing but Beca. Frowning, she pushed pause and began to read the letter.

Five minutes later she threw the piece of paper on the floor. Tears threatened to spill out of her blue eyes, and a pained rage simmered behind the vibrant blue. When Aubrey walked in minutes later, she immediately rushed to Chloe's side.

"Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?" The usually stoic blonde wrapped her thin arms around her best friend, her concern growing as sobs begin to shake through the red head.

"She told him." Chloe's voice was a hoarse whisper, and Aubrey pulled away, confused.

"Who told who what?" She knew she had been studying ardently for the LSATs lately, and at this instant felt incredibly guilty that she had been missing something so obviously important in her friend's life.

"Beca. She told Jesse." Chloe's response was brief, and did nothing to clarify Aubrey's confusion.

"Aca-scuse me? Jesse the Treble? What did she tell him?" Her concern began to grow into anger, though she wasn't sure why she was angry. Ignoring the implications of relations with a Treble, she just knew that something had happened, and Chloe was hurt, and it wasn't okay.

Sighing, Chloe sniffled and began to wipe the mascara from under her eyes where it had smeared. She knew she couldn't keep it from Aubrey any longer, but was hopeful that when it came down to it, the blonde would take her side over any hard feelings she might harbor for Barden's male group. After explaining how she discovered Jesse playing the songs, and how she had talked to Beca about her favorite season, Chloe showed the letter to other Bella.

As Aubrey read on, it clicked. Beca had told Jesse about the conversations with Chloe; she had used her friendship with Chloe to find out more about her so that she could give the information to him to craft himself into the perfect guy for Chloe. Except, it wasn't perfect. It was insane, underhanded, and quite frankly, despicable. "Chloe, this is awful. I'm so sorry. It's not fair, and I wish you weren't always so trusting. I hate seeing you get hurt." She spoke in a tight lipped voice, trying to contain her anger at the situation.

"I know," Chloe whispered. "I just never thought she would do that...especially after last night."

"What happened last night?" Aubrey's voice was questioning, but she refrained from sounding accusatory.

"Nothing. I mean, I don't know anymore. Apparently what I thought happened didn't happen. At least not the way I wanted to. Aubrey, what should I do?" Her eyes were pleading, glossy with tears about to spill.

Hearing the sound of her text alert, Chloe glanced at her phone. Reading Beca's text, she laughed to keep from crying again. "She is so...ahhh!" She let out a frustrated scream, and closed her eyes tightly. "She's acting like nothing happened. That's it. I'm texting her to meet up. Should I?"

Aubrey sighed, knowing what she would do and what Chloe would do were two separate things. Knowing her friend, she gave the advice that was most like the red head's normal response to things. Calmly, she said, "There's only one thing to do. Ask her. Confront her. Find out why she'd betray you like this. I knew we shouldn't have let her into the Bella's. She's just not Bella material! I knew she wasn't right..." She stopped mid sentence upon seeing the hurt in Chloe's eyes. Biting her tongue, she kept the rest of her thoughts about the younger Bella to herself.

Clearing her throat, Chloe stood up and straightened out her outfit that had been wrinkled by her breakdown. Her eyes now burning bright with anger, void of tears, she grabbed the letter and walked quickly to the door. "I'm going to talk to her, I need to know what kind of game she is playing. Because Chloe Beale doesn't play unless she's going to win." Yanking the door open, Aubrey shook her head, not used to seeing such a response from the redhead. Against her better judgement, she fired a quick text to Beca.

"It's Aubrey. Chloe's looking for you. You better have a damn good explanation when she finds you. And you might want to be in a public place."

Beca read her text message, confusion making her still present headache a little worse. Shrugging and rolling her eyes at Aubrey's dramatics, she headed out to find Chloe, oblivious to everything but love.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you for all the follows and favorites, you are all aca-amazing! I'm sorry for the delay in the update, I was sidetracked by two other BeChloe pieces I've started. I wanted to get a little of it down while it was in my head, but never fear, though life and work is picking up, updates to this will follow regularly until all is resolved, and while it will come to a close soon enough, there will be other wonderful journies for our girls, so we can all sigh with relief at that small comfort! :)

Beca was still reeling from her encounter with Chloe. Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she stormed across campus to find Jesse, her boots pounding a steady bass rhythm against the sidewalk. What Chloe had said to her had left her numb, the confusion sent her head spinning, and she was still trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. When she got Aubrey's text, she assumed that it was because Chloe had figured out that she had been the one making her the mixes. Nervous but excited, she left her room with a bounce in her step, and ended up colliding with the redhead in the stairwell. Unlike the previous collision that ended with awkward laughter and bonding, this was like two opposite measures in two different songs mashing up to a disharmonic melody of anger and hurt. The only words spoken were from Chloe, and Beca was so stunned that she only remembered bits and pieces.

"What the hell Beca, I thought we were...friends!" The last word was spit with venom, and her eyes burned with pain. The words stung Beca like a verbal slap to her heart, and she did what she does best. Beca Mitchell shut down. A lifetime of people she loved constantly disappointing her had acclimated her to situations such as this, and as a self defense mechanism, she crawled behind her hastily constructed walls and she tightly clenched her jaw, eyes defiant at Chloe's statement.

"Those things..." Chloe took a breath as her voice wavered, closing her eyes for a moment to center herself. Regaining composure, the fire in her eyes relit, and she continued, "I told you those things in confidence; I trusted you, Beca...why would you tell him? How could you tell Jesse those things? I really thought we had a connection." She stopped again, her voice broke, and her shoulders shook slightly as she relaxed with a quiet sadness. The last words Beca remembered her saying was, "I couldn't help but hope it was you. Why couldn't it be you?"

Before Beca could break down her walls to allow words to spill out her pursed lips, Chloe was gone, a note of sadness and despair clinging in the air nearly suffocating the brunette. She couldn't help but repeat those words over and over in her head, a rhythm of confusion punctuated by beats of anguish and betrayal. Beca still couldn't figure out what Chloe had been thinking, and it seemed the only person who might have the answers would be Jesse. Almost to his dorm, she increased the pace of her strides to get to his room as quickly as possible.

Her fist was the first thing to arrive at the door, and she began an arrhythmic pounding that had no discernible rhythm. After a few hard slams, the door flew open, and Jesse stood before her, a startled and worried look on his face. "Jesus, Beca, what's wrong?" He took a step closer to her, awkwardly trying to offer his friend comfort she clearly needed, but her palm thrust against his chest preventing him from closing the gap between them.

"No." She looked at him the confusion from earlier turning into anger, an emotion she was far more comfortable dealing with. Her words were punctuated staccato strikes, deiberate and brief. "What did you say to her, Jesse? What the fuck did you tell Chloe?" She shoved him into his room, and despite her small and compact frame, the element of surprise was in her favor and he stumbled backwards barely regaining his footing to avoid tumbling onto the Death Star carpet. Walking to his bed, Jesse collapsed, running a hand through his thick dark hair.

"I didn't say anything to Chloe." His voice was soft, but truthful. "What's going on, Beca, what did she say to you?"

Still furious, Beca sarcastically said, "Oh, I don't know, basically that I betrayed her and told you things we talked about. I thought she was coming to tell me she knew I was making the mixes. I guess she thinks you made them, I don't know Jesse, you tell me." She was still trying to process the evening's events, and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and she crumpled to a small mass on the floor, trying to hold back her sobs.

"Oh, shit. Fuck, Beca, I need to tell you something." Jesse crawled down beside his friend, and placed a nervous hand on her shoulder. "Remember when Luke said we could play whatever we wanted for an hour? I...I played your music. From the drive you left here. It was just so good, Bec, I wanted the world to hear your music! Maybe someone saw me playing it, someone who knew about Chloe's mixes, and Chloe assumed it was me making them. This is all fucked up. I'll go tell her the truth." Jesse started to stand up, but Beca's small hand gripped his wrist and pulled him back to the floor.

"No. I mean, I'm pissed that you played my shit, don't think I'm ignoring it, but I guess I was worried you were trying to get with her behind my back. Trying to steal her. Not like she's even mine, though." Finishing her sentence, she leaned into his shoulder, and he wrapped a large arm around her small form.

"No way. No freaking way I'd mess with the girl of a chick with ear spikes. I'm not stupid. Well, playing your mix was kinda stupid. But what kind of lezbro would I be if I tried to get your girl?" He smiled at Beca, and she laughed, realizing that even if he was an ass, Jesse was an ass that would be there for her when she needed.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, trying not to smear her eye makeup, she asked, "What should I do now? She wouldn't even talk to me. I tried to call her after she stormed away, but she kicked me to voicemail. Any ideas, lezbro? I'm all ears."

"Um...call me crazy, but maybe you should just make a grand gesture. Show up with note cards like in Love Actually! Or announce an apology on the radio?" Jesse's eyes lit up at the movie-inspired happy ending possibilities, but Beca simply rolled her eyes.

"Clearly your advice isn't any better. Great. Where's Benji? Maybe he can teach me a magic trick to pull my head out of my ass." Despite the words, Jesse was glad to hear the trademark sarcasm back in Beca's voice.

"I don't know, but if you need anything, let me know. I'm sorry, Beca, I really am. I never thought this would happen. Which is kind of funny," he said, laughing enough to disturb his train of thought, "because this is the kind of shit that happens in movies all the time."

Beca laughed too, adding dryly, "I wouldn't know, but I'll take your word for it. I have to go do something, but I'm still mad at you!" She ended her sentence with a glare, standing and moving to the door. Even though her words said otherwise, Jesse could see a spark of happiness behind her eyes. He wasn't worried; (lez)bro's before hos, right? He opened his mouth to voice it, but Beca was gone before he could vocalize the joke.

Her fingers were numb from sliding the controls for hours, and her body buzzed with the chords and progressions of notes, but hours later, Beca sighed with an odd mixture of relief and fear. She had blended some of Chloe's favorite songs with her own, and her piece de resitance, her best mix yet, was a perfect melding of Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" and Ace of Base's "Cruel Summer". Saving the files to her last available flash drive, she composed a hasty note. It was short and undramatic, lacking the poetic mystery her previous missives contained. This was a request; it was a plea for Chloe to just listen to the tracks. Sneaking quietly out so as not to awaken Kimmy Jin, Beca left to slide the final mix under Chloe and Aubrey's door. For a brief moment, she felt oddly at ease, knowing that the music within her had combined with every song that pulsed inside Chloe; she had done what she could to create these mash-ups, mixing their favorite songs, combining parts of their whole into something bigger and greater. She could only hope that Chloe would listen; she just knew if given one last chance, Chloe would see where the music was coming from, know it was inside of both of them, and that she would want to finally sing along. As Beca crawled into her bed, the rising sun dancing through the blinds, her confidence wavered, and she couldn't shake a single nagging thought. What if Chloe wouldn't listen?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So sorry for the delay in the update, I had the plague (okay, I was just really, really sick) and this semester work is insane. I just wanted to make sure I didn't rush it, since it's the last chapter and you all deserve better than a quick wrap up. Thank you all for the wonderful feedback, and I'm kicking around the idea of a sequel, but I suppose it'll depend on what you folks think. Thanks for embarking on this journey with me, I've had a blast, and for those of you who have asked, there's around 5 other fics I'm drafting, so you haven't heard the last of me (insert evil cackle here). Now, without further ado, the final installment for Music Within.

When Chloe awoke the next morning, she felt just as tired and drained as she had when she collapsed into bed the night before. She usually perked up at the morning light dancing through the blinds. In fact, she generally enjoyed watching the dust particles dance and twirl before her eyes in a ballet meant only for those patient enough to watch the dance unfold. Today, however, she frowned at the brightness and tried to retreat back into sleep. Finding no reprieve, she silently cursed Aubrey's habit of leaving the window open. Sighing, she pulled the pillow over her face and tried to block out the light and daytime noises, desperately seeking some relief from her thoughts of Beca and Jesse. They trampled through her brain, unrelenting, reminding her constantly how her life had been uprooted and her heartstrings plucked violently to the point of exhaustion. She just couldn't wrap her head around it. She loved spending time with Beca; the moments seemed to fly by and blurred together into white hot memories filled with a happy satiated feeling. But then, even if Beca had told Jesse everything, it was as though he somehow knew her thoughts; those mixes somehow spoke directly to her. Was she that transparent? Biting her lip, she remembered the night she (almost) spent with Beca. It didn't seem like the younger Bella was _that_ drunk, but what if the connection she felt was all in her head? Sighing in frustration, she pulled the corners of the pillow down tightly on either side of her head to let out a brief scream. Just when she was starting to feel centered, the safety net of her pillow was torn harshly from her arms. Blinking, she saw Aubrey towering over her, hands on her hips, a look of concern and consternation on her face.

"You skipped class again, Chloe. What is going on with you, anyway?" Relaxing her posture, the blonde softened her tone. "Really, moping is totes not who you are. I'm the one that's supposed to be the Debbie Downer. Me, cheering you up? Really weird for me." She smiled, but behind the teasing was a heavy layer of concern. In the four years she had known Chloe, she had never acted like this, and driven by the natural controlling tendencies she was raised with, Aubrey was at a loss at how to fix the situation. Sighing, she tossed the flash drive and the note she found taped to their door onto Chloe's stomach. "I hope you figure your stuff out. Or at least fill me in, girl."

Chloe nodded, absently sliding her hand to cup the drive. She tossed it onto her desk, not wanting to deal with anymore of the drama, and sat up, eyes beginning to well with tears. The words started pouring out, and before she knew it, the redhead was sobbing onto her roommate's shoulder, barely able to get the words out. "She...she didn't say anything, Aubrey. She just stood there."

"Well," Aubrey began, choosing her words carefully, "What did you want her to say?"

"Ugh. I don't know! That it was a mistake. That she was sorry. That she loves-" Chloe stopped herself abruptly clasping her hand over her mouth as her eyes grew wide. She knew it was an accident to let the words out; words, once spoken, were real. As long as the emotions were tied to her thoughts and thoughts alone, it was an idealistic fantasy, and though her heart hurt, it couldn't truly be broken. Once made real, concrete and visible, that made the heartbreak real as well. By admitting that the one thing she wanted more than anything was for Beca to love her too, Chloe was making herself unequivocally vulnerable. But it was too late; the sentiment was out, and Aubrey's raised eyebrows registered her surprise at the admission of her previously emotionally guarded best friend.

"So you really do love her, don't you?" Aubrey asked with a touch of awe in her voice; it was true that she personally didn't really care for the brunette, but if Chloe felt so deeply for her, well, there must be something amazing she was overlooking.

Sniffling, Chloe just nodded, her face damp with tears and smudged makeup. Feeling a jab of pain from her palm where the plastic ridge of the UBS drive was digging into her tightly clenched fist, the redhead relaxed her grip. She tossed it onto her desk, and Aubrey picked it up, along with the small note that had accompanied it. Looking carefully at the words, recognition dawned in her eyes as she remembered where she had seen lettering like that before. Smiling widely, with a twinkle in her eye, she handed the drive back to Chloe as she grabbed her notebook and headed to the door for her next class. Before leaving, she turned and spoke candidly, "You should listen to this. Who knows, it might surprise you." With that somewhat cryptic message she was gone, and Chloe was left alone with her slowly breaking heart.

Grabbing her laptop from her desk, she settled against the wall on her bed, and slid the drive into her USB port. There were a few files, but one in particular caught her eye. It had been saved as "I'm completely in love with you, Chloe, I just thought you should know", and Chloe rolled her eyes, fully anticipating Jesse's voice or something equally difficult to process at this time, but she clicked anyway, desperate to seek some kind of closure or understanding. The song brought neither, but after listening to the mix, she found she had both goosebumps and a fluttering in her stomach. After the second time through, the song seemed to have struck a magical chord that could mend her heart, piecing the fragments together with notes and a melody that enchanted and healed her. Unconsciously grinning, she pushed play a third time, and jumped eagerly from her bed, fixing her makeup and hair hastily, and thumbing through her closet for something presentable. As soon as the chorus mash-up began again, she found herself humming along to the lyrics:

"If there's no one beside you

When your soul embarks

Then I'll follow you into the dark,

dark summer, leaving me here on my own

It's a dark, dark summer, now you've gone..."

Hitting pause, she shut her laptop almost reverently as she headed out her door, finally feeling as though the broken part of her had been made whole.

X X X X

When she arrived at Beca's room, her trademark bubbly smile and confidence had returned, and she knocked impatiently, waiting for the door to open. Kimmy Jin's annoyed expression was the first thing she saw, but everything else seemed to blur together. Beca's back was turned to her, and her headphones were buzzing with sound. Her fingers swiftly and deftly manipulated the dials on a soundboard, and her eyes were closed as she felt the music course through her. Watching for a moment in sheer awe, Chloe's heart swelled, transfixed with the image of this person who had captured her heart and soul in so many ways. Gathering her courage, she walked over and gently removed Beca's headphones. Not knowing where to begin, Chloe gestured to the dj equipment and simply said softly, "I didn't know you were into this." Beca nodded, not quite knowing what to say.

Glaring at the two of them, Kimmy Jin stood abruptly, and said with irritation, "This is incredibly awkward Beca, even for you. I'm going to the library." WIth that, she was gone, and Chloe and Beca were left alone with tension so thick it threatened to suffocate them.

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, the words and thoughts flying through her mind. How long had Beca liked her? Did she mean the sentiment she saved the file under, or was that a ploy to just get her to listen to the song? What was Jesse's involvement? Despite being able to fully form thoughts, the translation to spoken words was impossible, and Beca watched as Chloe opened and closed her mouth a few times. Laughing softly at the normally verbose redhead's evident inability to speak, Beca sat down on her bed and crossed her legs, motioning for Chloe to join her. When Chloe softened her expression and giggled, Beca felt slightly more at ease. Chloe eased onto the bed, her knees touching Beca's, prompting the brunette to flash a crooked smile.

Beca looked down at her comforter, absently picking at invisible lint and said, "You know, I'm not so good with the talking. I'm better with music. But you already know this. Music, that's what feelings sound like. And...and I meant every note."

Chloe's eyes began to glaze over with tears threatening to spill. Beca, worried she had said the wrong thing, leaned away, her brow furrowed in confusion. Chloe could see Beca withdrawing and rebuilding her walls, and she did the only thing she could think of. When words are not enough, all that remains are actions. The redhead placed a tentative hand on Beca's knee, and shifted her weight to move closer. She could smell Beca's shampoo, undertones of white tea and ginger, and she closed her eyes for a second, basking in the scent that reminded her of the time she sang with Beca in the shower. Opening her eyes, she saw Beca's steel blue eyes burning with desire, a desire fueled by uninhibited passion. Taking a deep breath, Chloe leaned closer achingly slowly, pausing when she could feel Beca's breath on her own lips. Holding the pose for what felt like an eternity, Beca uttered a single word.

"Please," she said with a vulnerability and need that dispelled any fears Chloe may have still harbored.

With a soft sigh, the older girl closed the gap pressing her lips to the dj's, and the electrifying jolt she had experienced the night of the party returned, sending tingles from her lips through her heart and body. The intensity made her veins feel like they were flowing with fire, and she swore she heard music. Unlike their previous kisses that were tainted with the acrid burn of alcohol, Chloe tasted nothing but Beca, and found that far more intoxicating than any amount of liquor.

Beca settled her hands on Chloe's hips, and, leaning into the kiss, began to take control. Her tongue snuck out to swipe across the redhead's bottom lip, and with a soft moan, lips parted and their tongues were touching. Softly at first, then with more confidence, Beca slid her tongue over Chloe's teeth, sucking gently on her bottom lip. She had waited so long for this, and to her relief, her eagerness was matched fervently by Chloe's. Beca slid her hand over Chloe's back, resting at the base of her neck, securing their kiss. As Chloe felt her desire rise, her own hand found its way to the back of Beca's head, entwining her fingers in soft dark hair. Their kisses continued to deepen, until suddenly Beca pulled away slowly. Seeing the worry in Chloe's vibrant blue eyes, Beca placed a soft chaste kiss on her lips, and took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. She needed to say something before she lost the courage.

Hesitating for just a second, she spoke softly, "I love you, Chloe. Probably for longer than I realized. My life is music, it always has been, but you..you're the song my heart has been searching for." She hoped it sounded less cheesy than it seemed to her, but Chloe's reaction seemed to indicate that she at the very least wouldn't be facing rejection immediately.

Chloe's smile couldn't be larger or brighter, and she leaned back into Beca's waiting arms. "For someone who says words aren't their thing, you're amazingly romantic Beca Mitchell. It's totes one of the million reasons I love you."

Hearing Chloe speak those last three words relit the fire within Beca, and with a smile to rival the cheerful redhead's, she smirked, and said "A million? You'll have to tell me them sometime. But not right now." She finished her sentence as she reconnected their lips, their heartbeats creating a beautiful drum cadence for their rhythmic breathing. Sorting the details and answering questions could wait until later; for now, the two lovers were content to listen to the music within, two distinct songs from two individuals blending perfectly and seamlessly into a mashup of monumental proportions.

The End

(But like a favorite song, there's always repeat ;) )


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